The Right Path 3
by feathercloud13
Summary: Currently being rewritten as The Right Path 3 Rewrite.
1. Prologue

The Clan Cats

ThunderClan

**Leader: **Smokestar, grey tabby tom with amber eyes,

**Deputy: **Ashenfur, grey tom with light blue eyes, Leafdapple's mate

**Medicine Cat: **

Mosspelt, brown she-cat with green eyes

Frostpool, white she-cat with blue eyes, medicine cat apprentice

**Warriors:**

Leafdapple, white and brown she-cat with blue eyes, Ashenfur's mate

Forestlily, brown she-cat with amber eyes

Thorntail, brown and gold tom with amber eyes

Whitepelt, fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes,

Hazelstep, dark grey female with blue eyes,

Berrytail, white and grey male with green eyes,

Snowstorm, fluffy white she-cat with green eyes,

Thistlefang, light grey male with blue eyes

Dawnheart, golden female with amber eyes

Birdwing, brown and ginger she-cat with green eyes

Lightheart, dark grey she-cat with green eyes

Clovernight, grey and black she-cat with green eyes

Dewleaf, black she-cat with blue eyes

Cloudstorm, grey and white tom with blue eyes

Eaglewind light grey tom with green eyes

Flightfur light ginger and white she-cat with green eyes

Falconclaw ginger tom with blue eyes

Stonefoot black and grey striped tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

**Queens:**

Feathercloud, silver she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

**Elders:**

Silverstorm, grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Kits:**

RiverClan

**Leader: **Larkstar, light ginger tomcat with green eyes, Poppyseed's mate, Swiftbird's brother

**Deputy:** Rocktail, brown tom with amber eyes, Hollyflower's mate

**Medicine Cat: **Swiftbird, white and ginger she-cat with green eyes, Larkstar's sister, Lilypaw's mentor

**Warriors:**

Hawkfur, black and white tomcat with blue eyes, Willowleaf's mate

Willowleaf, grey and black she-cat with green eyes, Hawkfur's mate, Riverwhisker's sister,

Riverwhisker, silver she-cat with green eyes, Willowleaf's sister

Bramblenose, brown tabby tom with amber eyes, Splashripple's mate

Rainheart, black, grey, and white tom with green eyes, Splashripple's brother, Sandpaw's mentor

Poppyseed, golden she-cat with amber eyes, Larkstar's mate, Streampaw's mentor

Weaselclaw, light brown female with amber eyes, Poppyseed and Larkstar's kit

Hollyflower, brown female with green eyes, Rocktail's mate

Sandstripe, light brown she-cat with green eyes, Hollyflower and Rocktail's kit

Lilypelt, light brown she-cat with amber eyes, Sandpaw's sister, medicine cat apprentice

Streamgaze, silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Duskpaw, brown she-cat with blue eyes

Nightpaw, black tom with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Splashripple, grey and white she-cat with blue eyes, Bramblenose's mate

**Elders:**Beaverfur, brown tom with green eyes

**Kits:**

WindClan

**Leader: **Lightstar, yellow she-cat with amber eyes, Maplepaw's mentor

**Deputy: **Riverfish, brown tomcat with green eyes, Icecloud's mate,

**Medicine Cat:** Ferntail, brown she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors:**

Sandspeckle, light tan she-cat with amber eyes, Lightstep's sister,

Icecloud, white and grey she-cat with blue eyes, Riverfish's mate

Longstripe, orange tabby with green eyes, Mistsong's mate, Shrewpaw's mentor

Moonstripe, cream colored she-cat with blue eyes, Icecloud and Riverfish's kit

Dustclaw, light brown tom with blue eyes, Moonstripe's brother, Nightwing's mate

Nightwing, black she-cat with blue eyes, Dustclaw's mate

Cragwind, grey tom with blue eyes, Petalpaw's mentor

Maplenose, brown female with blue eyes, Nightwing and Dustclaw's kit

Shrewtail, black male with blue eyes, Maplepaw's brother

Petalnose, dark brown female with blue eyes, Shrewpaw's sister

**Apprentices:**

Clawpaw, grey tom with blue eyes

Breezepaw, brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Queens:**

Mistsong, grey she-cat with blue eyes, Longstripe's mate

**Elders:**

Mousetail, brown tom with green eyes

Heavytail, brown and black tom with blue eyes

**Kits:**

ShadowClan

**Leader:** Blackstar, black tomcat with white tail tip and blue eyes, Sparrowfeather's mate

**Deputy:** Cinderash, grey she-cat with blue eyes, Greypaw's mentor

**Medicine Cat: **Stormtalon, grey tom with blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Coldpelt, grey tomcat with green eyes, Shinepaw's mentor

Rustyheart, fiery ginger tomcat with green eyes, Sunnypaw's mentor

Sharpclaw, grey tomcat with green eyes, Heathertail's mate

Bearfoot, brown tom with amber eyes, Sparrowfeather and Blackstar's son, Mistpaw's mentor

Sparrowfeather, brown she-cat with amber eyes, Blackstar's mate

Heathertail, brown she-cat with blue eyes, Sharpclaw's mate

Sunnyfoot, golden she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices:**

Mistpaw, black and white female with blue eyes, Sparrowfeather and Blackstar's kit

Shinepaw, grey she-cat with blue eyes

Greypaw, grey tom with green eyes

**Queens:**

**Elders:**

Honeytail, golden she-cat with green eyes

**Kits:**

RainClan

**Leader: **Stealthstar, black and grey tom with blue eyes, old

**Deputy: **Tigerstripe, orange and brown striped tom with amber eyes, Skyfur's mate, Ivypaw's mentor

**Medicine Cat: **Honeytail, golden tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors:**

Skyfur, silver she-cat with green eyes, Tigerstripe's mate

Whispersong, light cream colored she-cat with soft brown eyes

Stormpelt, grey and black striped tom with amber eyes

Redfur, pale ginger tom with green eyes, Petaltail's mate

**Apprentices:**

Ivypaw, brown she-cat with amber eyes

Amberpaw, tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Petaltail, brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, Redfur's mate

**Elders:**

None

**Kits:**

Flowerkit, light brown tabby with green eyes

Owlkit, dark brown tom with amber eyes

Prologue

_The gray tabby tom slowly made his way toward a large boulder, padding around it until he came to an opening. "Stealthstar?" he called out, his voice hesitant. His gray fur, lined with black stripes, was bristled with anticipation. _

"_Yes?" a voice replied from inside. "Come in."_

_The gray tom stepped into the den. He dipped his head, showing utmost respect for the aging cat that sat before him. "Stealthstar," he meowed. _

_Stealthstar nodded, his light blue eyes kind. "Yes, Stormpelt?"_

_After a moment's hesitation, he began, "It's been a few days… since… Dewleaf left. I waited. But she still hasn't returned. I… I want to go find her, and bring her back. Or at least speak to her."_

_The leader's blue eyes flashed. "No, Stormpelt. I won't allow it. RainClan is of very few cats. We can't afford to let you go."_

_Stormpelt's eyes narrowed. "But Stealthstar! There is no danger here! It won't make a difference!"_

"_I don't want you to go," Stealthstar repeated again. "Besides, if you haven't remembered, you can only mate with cats in your own Clan."_

_Stormpelt flinched. "B-but…"_

"_And if she really cared about you, she would not have left you," Stealthstar challenged. "She would at least have come back to you."_

_Inside, Stormpelt knew he was probably right. Feeling as if he'd been kicked in the stomach, he lowered his head in defeat. _

"_Stormpelt," Stealthstar went on. "I'm sorry, but you two just weren't meant to be."_

_His eyes flashed with indignation. "I loved her, Stealthstar, I really did. But I never even got to tell her that."_

_The elderly tom blinked slowly, sighing. "Some things just don't work out the way we want them to, young one. But there are other potential she-cats in RainClan. Ivystrike recently received her warriors name. She's a nice she-cat."_

"_But she isn't Dewleaf," the gray and black tom hissed bitterly. Without saying anything else, he stood up and left, lashing his tail in frustration._

_As he gazed around camp, he felt a pang of sadness. _That's it. That's the end. Stealthstar is right. Dewleaf has probably forgotten all about me… There is no hope…

_His amber gaze lingered over to Flowerkit and Owlkit. His sister's kits were playing outside the nursery, tumbling over each other and shrieking at their fun. Nearby, their mother and father, Petaltail and Redfur, were sitting together, sharing tongues. They looked so happy, as if nothing could break them apart. And they'd do anything to protect each other and their offspring._

_Stormpelt felt a swell of jealousy at his sister. She had a loving mate who would die for her, and two lovely kits to prove it. He had nothing. Nothing at all. He imagined himself, sharing tongues with Dewleaf, kits tumbling around them. It was such an unrealistic image… _

_He hadn't watched where he was going, and— _

"_Oof!" _

_He shook his fur and blinked, staring into the soft green eyes of Skyfur, his mother. "Oh, sorry."_

_The silver she-cat rolled her eyes. "Watch where you're going, Stormpelt," she mewed softly. _

"_I'm sorry," he said again, licking down his ruffled fur. He felt his pelt flush with embarrassment. _

_The she-cat purred, then peered at him closely. "Are you alright? You seem troubled."_

_He shrugged, then sat down and sighed. "I… I feel lonely."_

_Skyfur purred. "Well, there are cats all around you!"_

"_Yes, but everyone else has a special someone… and I don't."_

_His mother nudged him softly with her muzzle. "Stormpelt, I suppose it is hard for you to find a mate. After all, there is only one she-cat close to your age, and that's Ivystrike, but—__"_

"_I know, I know," Stormpelt hissed, cutting her off. "But… when Dewleaf was here, I… I always had this feeling, you know?"_

_Skyfur shrugged. "But she isn't here now, and you must learn to cope with that. I understand how you feel, Stormpelt."_

No, you don't understand how I feel. How could you? You've never been through this before, _Stormpelt thought bitterly. But he just nodded and excused himself quickly. _

_He padded out of camp, sighing. Overhead, the sky was dark. He silently made his way to the river, sitting down on a smooth, broad boulder. He stared up at the sky, taking in the breathtaking view of the twinkling stars overhead. _

I wonder… Does Dewleaf see those stars up there? Does she see how pretty they are?

Does she miss me?

* * *

**Okay, so what did you think of the prologue? I finally decided to get off my lazy butt and type this up. I also have everything else planned out for this fic, well, mostly. **

**And for the next chapters, well, I was thinking about doing first person POV for once, since I rarely ever do that.**

**FYI I'm a betareader now, so if you like my writing style and want someone to edit your stuff, I'm your gal! Just PM me. **

**I hope you liked this chapter, please review! Um... first person to review gets a prize, I don't know what it'll be yet...**


	2. Chapter 1

**Platypuskit let me use the name Ivystrike, so all credit goes to her!**

Chapter 1

Dewleaf emerged from the warriors den, yawning and blinking. She purred, it felt nice to feel the sun warming her pelt. She stretched her legs, wincing at the discomfort that shot through her shoulder. But she shook her fur, ignoring it, and looked around camp.

The medicine cats had finally agreed to let her out of the medicine cats den. She was glad to be able to sleep with her Clanmates and perform her duties in ThunderClan again.

Ashenfur was organizing patrols at the center of camp. She trotted over quickly and asked, "Can I join a patrol?"

Her grandfather looked her over, then slowly nodded. "If you think you're well enough."

"Of course I am," Dewleaf replied steadily. "Please, I've been in the medicine cat's den for a half moon already!"

Ashenfur purred, licking his grand-daughter's ear. "Okay, fine. You can join my hunting patrol. Snowstorm and Falconclaw are coming with us."

Dewleaf nodded. "Thank you."

"We'll be leaving soon. So stay here, I'm sure the others will be up soon," the gray tom instructed.

The black she-cat nodded and sat down, yawning. She blinked at the sunlight, then was consumed in her own thoughts. _Now I know that I actually have cats here in ThunderClan who care about me. My littermates, of course. And… Thorntail, too. I didn't know he cared about me so much. And… Ashenfur, and Leafdapple. Now I don't feel so alone, like I did… But that doesn't mean I don't miss Stormpelt. _She sighed and looked down at her black furred paws, blinking slowly. She was disturbed from her thoughts when someone lightly tapped her shoulder. She lifted her head and turned, meeting Falconclaw's blue eyes. "Oh, hi," she purred. Snowstorm and Ashenfur were waiting for them, watching intently.

"Come on, Dewleaf," Falconclaw replied, beckoning with his tail.

The two young warriors made their way to where the deputy and senior warrior waited.

Dewleaf dipped her head to Snowstorm, then turned to Ashenfur.

"Ready?" the deputy asked. When the others all nodded, he rushed through the thorn tunnel, the others streaming out behind him.

Dewleaf flew through the tunnel eagerly, taking in a deep breath. She looked around at the tall trees, lush green leaves hanging from them. She let out a happy sigh and twitched her tail.

"Nice to be back out in the forest, hmm?" Snowstorm mewed, her whiskers twitching with amusement.

She ducked her head a bit, nodding. "Yeah, I suppose."

The white queen purred and scented the air. After a moment, she darted under the cover of some ferns, and was soon gone.

The others had all begun stalking prey. Dewleaf padded through the undergrowth quietly until she came upon a squirrel.

She stalked it quietly, taking a few small, silent steps toward the prey. Then she lunged forward and gave it the final blow. Pain shot through her injured shoulder, so she stopped and gave it a few licks, then stretched her legs. After a few moments, she scented the air for more prey. Smelling a vole, she padded silently to a small clearing. Indeed, there was a vole, standing in the open, as if waiting to be caught. She dropped to a hunter's crouch, stalking closer and closer.

Suddenly, it squeaked with alarm and darted into a tiny burrow. Hissing with frustration, Dewleaf sighed and looked around. What had scared it?

A flash of ginger fur told her everything. "Falconclaw?" she called out in a low voice.

"Um, yeah," he mewed, stepping out of the shadows. "Sorry. I was stalking that vole, but then I realized that you were, too, so I tried to get out of the way without making noise, but I stepped on a twig."

Dewleaf's eyes narrowed, but after a moment, she shrugged. "Oh, that's okay."

There was an awkward silence between the two. Finally, Dewleaf said, "Thank you."

Falconclaw seemed surprised. "For what?"

"You know, the night of the Gathering."

"Oh." He looked up at her, then asked, "Do you still want to go back to...?"

Dewleaf sighed. "I know I failed once, but… yes, I do. I miss him horribly. But I've been feeling better lately. I realized that so many cats in ThunderClan care about me. I used to think that I was alone, but now… Well, I know for sure that my littermates care about me. Feathercloud and Thorntail do, too. And… you're a great friend, Falconclaw. Of course you care about me."

The ginger tom offered a small twitch of his whiskers, but that was it. His eyes were downcast.

Dewleaf sighed. "Is… is this against the warrior code?"

"What?"

"I… I love Stormpelt, but he's in RainClan. It isn't one of the four Clans, but they still follow the warrior code there," she meowed. "Is it wrong to love him? He is from a different Clan."

After a moment silence, Falconclaw looked up, his blue eyes steady and his voice full of conviction. "No, it's not wrong, Dewleaf. If you really, _really _care about him, then you deserve to be with him."

The black she-cat let out a small sigh. "I guess you're right."

Falconclaw purred. "Of course I am. Now come on, we have hunting to do."

***

"Are you okay, Dewleaf?" Ashenfur meowed. "How was your first hunt since the Gathering?"

Dewleaf purred. "Great. My shoulder hurt a little, though, so I'm going to ask Mosspelt for some herbs."

Ashenfur nodded. "Why don't you take the medicine cats some fresh-kill?"

"Okay," Dewleaf replied, picking up the squirrel she'd caught earlier. She flicked her tail in farewell and trotted to the small, herb-scented cave. She stepped inside quietly and called out.

Mosspelt appeared from the back of the den. "Dewleaf! How are you? Did you reopen your wounds?" she asked, her voice tinted with worry.

"No, I'm fine," she meowed, shaking her head. She put the squirrel down, then beckoned to it. "I brought some fresh-kill for you. And my shoulder has been bothering me, could you take a look?" Mosspelt nodded. "Sure." She nudged the fresh-kill aside and set to work on Dewleaf's shoulder. She plastered some poultice on it, then wrapped it in cobwebs. "You almost reopened it. But it should be fine. Thanks for the squirrel."

Dewleaf dipped her head and padded out of the den, yawning. _I should get some rest, _she told herself. As she padded toward the warriors den, though, she met Thorntail. He carried a mouse in his mouth.

Her adopted father flicked his tail and called out, "How are you, Dewleaf?"

She nodded. "Fine."

"I was going to visits Feathercloud and Lionkit. Would you like to join me?" the golden-brown tom asked.

She nodded eagerly. She hadn't seem little Lionkit in a while, and it was always nice to visit her mother. The two cats made their way to the nursery and walked inside quietly.

Immediately, a blur of golden fur rammed into the both.

"Oof!" Dewleaf hissed, shaking off Lionkit. "It's not nice to attack visitors," she scolded.

Lionkit's tail wriggled with excitement. "Dewleaf! Let's play!"

Dewleaf purred and licked her half-brother's ear. "Don't be rough, I have cobwebs on my shoulder, okay?"

The little golden tom nodded.

"Let me say hello to Feathercloud first," Dewleaf meowed, padding over to where Thorntail and Feathercloud were speaking.

Feathercloud's blue eyes shone. "Dewleaf," she purred.

The black she-cat padded forward and softly nuzzled her mother. After exchanging a few words, however, Lionkit got impatient and began nipping at her tail.

Dewleaf let out a growl of mock-fury and pretended to lunge at him. "Get away from me, filthy ThunderClanner!" she hissed.

Lionkit rolled his eyes. "I'm not afraid of you!"

Dewleaf cuffed him around the ears gently. He retaliated by hooking his tiny kitten claws into her tail. She hissed and wriggled away from his grasp, shaking her fur.

Lionkit scrambled up to his paws and knocked Dewleaf off her feet.

She lay still on the ground, letting him have his fun, when she noticed Thorntail and Feathercloud gently grooming each other. They exchanged soft, soothing words. She felt uncomfortable watching this, something pierced at her heart, and she turned away. Lionkit was attacking her ear now, but she barely felt it. The familiar "homesickness" made her belly churn. But why did she feel this way? She was in ThunderClan's camp. This _was _home. Then the image of a sweet, gray and black tabby tom drifted into her mind, and a sigh escaped her lips.

"Sorry, Lionkit, I'm tired now," she meowed softly as she got up. "I'll see you later." She twitched her tail and left the nursery, making her way to the warriors den.

Once inside, she plopped down on her mossy nest and closed her eyes.

***

**Different POV **

_I watch as she lays down, a sigh escaping her. She barely looks around. I don't think she sees me here. But I'm here, only a few tail-lengths away, trying to rest. She looks so sad. The same expression she used to have on her face has returned. Why? Just this morning she was so lively and full of energy. Now she's drained, tired, and sad. Her face is twisted up with confusion and sadness. I can almost feel the emotional pain she feels now._

_Flawless. _

_That's what she is. She's flawless. Her sleek, black pelt is always groomed and tidy. Her beautiful blue eyes are always bright and full of life. Well, not always. Sometimes they're dull and full of pain and longing, but beautiful nonetheless. Her voice is as smooth as the honey used to cure sore throats. Her scent is a mix of the forest and sweet flowers. Even her name makes me tingle. Dewleaf. But best of all… is _her. _Just her in general. She is so kind and sweet, and always thinks of others. Even though she is a warrior, she never neglects to take fresh-kill to those in need. She is always kind and gracious, she never hurts anyone's feelings. _

_She's flawless. _

_That's exactly what she is. _

_Dewleaf is flawless._

_But if only she would notice me, even glance my way. I'm just a friend to her. An ordinary Clanmate, nothing more. She'll never see me they way my mother sees my father, or the way Lightheart looks at Cloudstorm. She'll never look at me the way a she-cat should look at her mate. Never. _

_But I wish she would. If only she saw me that way. But she doesn't. She barely sees me at all. And I can't do much about it. I can tell that her heart is set on another. Not me. Another tom. Someone else. Not me. If only… _

_If only… If only she loved me. At least notice me. But she doesn't. _

_No matter what, though, I'll always have room in my heart for her. Because she is flawless._

_Flawless_

* * *

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. **

**And I know I said I'd do first person, but I tried it, and it didn't come out well. So I decided to do it this way. All Dewleaf's POV, except at the end, a mystery POV, in first person. Who do you think it is? If it's totally obvious, tell me. The ending of the chapter will probably be in someone else's POV for each chapter. Maybe. I don't know yet. **

**For now: Move mouse to lower part of screen. **

**Click the gray/green button reading: Review**

**Type a good review.**

**And submit!!! :-]**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Dewleaf nodded. "Of course, Clovernight. We can go hunting together after I get some rest, okay?"

Her sister nodded, her green eyes gleaming. "Good. I'll see you then."

Dewleaf flicked her tail in reply. She could tell that her sister was going to give her one of those "talks". She'd just returned from a border patrol and was tired. She gave her black pelt a shake and stretched. Then she made her way into the warriors den, bumping into Hazelstep on the way.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said hastily, ducking her head in embarrassment.

Her former mentor let out a warm purr. "That's okay, Dewleaf. How are you doing these days?"

She gave a tiny shrug and replied, "Well, I'm fine."

The gray she-cat nodded and twitched her tail, then padded past her, out to the clearing.

Dewleaf trudged to her nest and fell down in a tired heap. Within moments, she was asleep.

***

"Hey, Dewleaf, wake up!" someone hissed.

The black she-cat lifted her head sleepily, blinking her bright blue eyes. In front of her stood Berrytail, his ears flattened against his head. "What is it?" she mumbled.

"Clan meeting," Berrytail said curtly as he whipped around and raced out of the den hurriedly.

Gathering her feet beneath her, she got up. Then she slowly padded out of the warriors den. The others were all gathered at the Highrock, staring up at Smokestar.

The smoky-gray tom was seated on the Highrock, his tail swishing. After gazing around at his Clan, he opened his mouth and began to speak. "We have gathered here to watch a kit become an apprentice." He motioned toward the nursery.

Feathercloud and Lionkit were sitting right in front of it. The golden kit was groomed and well behaved, but his tail wriggled in excitement.

Dewleaf let out a small purr as she watched her half-brother slowly pad toward the middle of the clearing.

Smokestar went on with the ritual, giving the kit the name Lionpaw. Then he named his mentor.

"Dewleaf."

Shocked gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Dewleaf, as well, was taken aback. "M-me?" she meowed uncertainly.

Smokestar nodded, purring. "Yes, Dewleaf." He motioned with his tail, and the she-cat made her way to the front.

"But she's sister to Lionpaw!" someone protested.

Smokestar hissed, his eyes narrowed. "So? That isn't against the warrior code."

Whoever had said that quieted down.

_Why me? Why did Smokestar choose me? I know for a fact that Thistlefang and Dawnheart haven't had apprentices yet! They're much older than me! And… Berrytail never had an apprentice, did he? Why me? Even Clovernight or Cloudstorm would be better choices! _She gulped back her uncertainty and touched noses with her new apprentice.

Lionpaw's amber eyes were shining. He purred and flicked his tail.

Smokestar then ended the meeting and prowled into his den, Ashenfur at his heels. Obviously, the Clan deputy disagreed with the arragement as well.

Dewleaf looked down at Lionpaw uncertainly. He seemed unfazed that his half-sister was his mentor, though. "Um… I think we can start with touring the territory," she stammered. "Uh… I have… I have to speak to someone, though, okay? Why don't you, uh… you can wait here." _See? I'm not ready to mentor anyone! _

"Okay," Lionpaw said.

Dewleaf nodded and rushed toward the leader's den, pausing outside at the sound of voices.

It was Ashenfur speaking. "She's my granddaugther, yes, but I don't think she's ready, Smokestar. She's very young. And there are older cats that haven't had apprentices yet, such as Berrytail, or—"

"Are you questioning me?" Smokestar growled.

"No!" Ashenfur said quickly, his tone lowering. "I'm sorry, Smokestar. But… you didn't even tell her ahead of time."

"I know," Smokestar said quietly, sighing. "But… can't you see the way she's always sad? She's always reluctant. She's not the excited, loyal ThunderClan warrior anymore. Half the time, her mind is elsewhere. She's always confused and grievous."

"Yes," Ashenfur mewed. "I've noticed."

"I thought that if we gave her an apprentice, she'd be kept busy. She'd find her place in ThunderClan. She'd keep her mind off of… whatever she's always daydreaming about, and make her a loyal ThunderClan cat," Smokestar explained, his voice quiet. "She was such a lively she-cat, she was always willing to serve her Clan. But ever since the journey to RainClan, she's been different."

"She has," Ashenfur admitted. "I don't know what it is, though."

Smokestar let out a sigh. "I'm sure she'll fit back in later. For now, just watch her progress. We may have to assist her in mentoring Lionpaw, though."

"Yes, Smkestar," the deputy responded. "Why don't I go check on them now?"

Dewleaf's eyes widened and she loped away from the leader's den's entrance, acting as if she had just gotten there. Ashenfur emerged, and his eyes lit up in surprise.

"Dewleaf, what's wrong? Why aren't you with Lionpaw?" he asked kindly.

"Oh, I wanted to speak to Smokestar. But it's not important." She turned away and padded back to where Lionpaw waited. "Come on. I'll show you around the territory."

"Great!" Lionpaw purred. "Let's go!" He darted toward the entrance of the camp.

"Hey! Wait!"

At that, he stopped and turned back. "Why?"

"You should get some fresh-kill first, aren't you hungry?" Dewleaf asked.

The golden tom considered it, then shook his head. "No, I'd rather go out first."

Dewleaf nodded. "Fine, then. Let's go." She began to usher him toward the camp exit when Ashenfur raced over to them.

"Hey, Dewleaf. Do you want me to go with you?" he asked.

Putting on an innocent look, she asked, "Why? I can handle it, I'm his _mentor_, after all."

Ashenfur purred, his eyes twinkling. "Okay, then." He touched his muzzle to hers in affectionate gesture. "Make me proud, Dewleaf!" She returned the gesture to her grandfather and turned back to Lionpaw. "Come on."

"Bye, Ashenfur!" Lionpaw piped up as he shot through the thorn tunnel.

***

"Good job, Lionpaw," Dewleaf meowed, her whiskers twitching with amusement as her apprentice looked up wearily. "You did very well, actually. You managed to keep up with me, and you even guessed WindClan's scent!"

Lionpaw let out a small purr. "Thanks."

"I can see you're tired. But being an apprentice means responsibility. You have one more duty. I'll help, too. We have to take fresh-kill to the elders. In this case, Silverstorm."

The golden tom gave a brisk nod and rushed to the fresh-kill pile. He picked a plump vole and spat it out. "Is that good?"

Dewleaf nodded. "Yes. Now come on, to the elders den." She led him to the den where Silverstorm resided. "You know, Lionpaw, you were named after you grandfather, Silverstorm's mate, Lionstar."

He nodded. "I know, Feathercloud told me." He lifted his head in pride. "And I look just like him, too!"

"Yes, I hear he was a good leader," Dewleaf commented. _Although he was an ambitious father. _"Go on in, I'm sure Silverstorm will be glad to see you." She sat down outside, trusting her apprentice to go in alone. He did, and in a few moments, came back out again.

"I gave it to her, and she said thanks," Lionpaw said. He heaved a sigh.

Dewleaf gave him a friendly lick on the ear. "Okay, good. Go and rest, won't you?"

Lionpaw let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, Dewleaf!" She nodded and watched him go. She hadn't noticed Ashenfur padding up behind her, and jumped when his voice reached her ears.

"Seems as if you're doing a good job."

She whipped around, hackles raised, then relaxed. "I guess so," she meowed. She added, as if to admit, "I didn't know I could do so well with him. But he's easy to get along with."

Ashenfur nodded, his eyes glowing. "You know, I doubted you for a moment, Dewleaf. I mean, you're so young, but now I see I was wrong. Perhaps Smokestar made a good decision after all."

Dewleaf dipped her head. "Thank you. I was very surprised."

"So was I."

"So… he didn't tell you before the meeting?" Dewleaf asked, though she knew the answer.

He shook his head. "No. Well, I have to go now, I promised Leafdapple we'd go on a short hunt together. I'll see you later."

Dewleaf dipped her head again and watched him leave. He was soon joined by Leafdapple, who gave him a lick on the muzzle. The two cats padded out of camp, their tails intertwined. She felt a ripple of jealousy consume her. Even her grandmother had a tom who cared so much about her! She had no one. No one that loved her deeply and would die for her. Not in ThunderClan, at least. As a thought of Stormpelt drifted into her consciousness, she pushed it away, shaking her head and entering the elders den.

Silverstorm was nearly finished with the vole, and she looked up. "Dewleaf," she said warmly. Though she wasn't her true hereditary grandmother, she and Dewleaf shared a bond. "You did well with young Lionpaw."

Dewleaf nodded in gratitude. "I…I've had a lot on my mind."

"Really? Why?" Silverstorm meowed.

"I don't know, I just keep thinking about them," she replied. "Like… like RainClan."

Silverstorm's eyes widened a little. "RainClan? What about RainClan? Are you worried about them?"

"No," she answered, sighing. "But I just… I wonder about them, and wonder if they're all right…"

"Didn't you meet a tom there who really cared about you?" Silverstorm asked.

Dewleaf ducked her head. "How did you know?"

"Cloudstorm told me, of course," the she-cat replied. "His name was… Stormfur?"

"Stormpelt," she corrected. Just saying his name sent a chill down her spine, and Silverstorm noticed.

"You think about him?"

Dewleaf nodded. "Yes. All the time. I can't help it! I know it's against the warrior code, but…"

Silverstorm took another bite of the vole. "Well, Dewleaf, that's true. I don't know much in this field, Lionstar and I were attracted to each other from the beginning, and we were both in ThunderClan."

Dewleaf sighed. "Well, he's probably forgotten all about me now, Silverstorm. No use thinking about him. He's probably with… Ivypaw… or Amberpaw…" She felt a pang at her heart at those thoughts, but it was probably true! After waiting several moons, Stormpelt had probably forgotten her! "I'll be going now, Silverstorm."

The silver she-cat nodded, but she said nothing.

When Dewleaf padded back out to camp, her sister and brother nearly attacked her.

"Dewleaf! There you are! We couldn't find you anywhere!" Clovernight exclaimed.

Cloudstorm purred. "Well, we've found you. First of all, we wanted to tell you congratulations for getting your first apprentice."

Dewleaf ducked and mumbled, "Thanks. But—"

"And…" Clovernight paused, her eyes darting around. "Thorntail was looking for you. He said that if we saw you, to tell you congratulations. He was very proud!" Cloudstorm nodded. "It's true." He nudged his sister gently. "I'm jealous," he purred.

"Well, don't be," Dewleaf snapped. She retold what Smokestar and Ashenfur had said in the leaders den.

Clovernight was appalled. "He wouldn't do that! He was my mentor! He really cares about his Clan!" Dewleaf rolled her eyes. "I heard it with my own ears! Though Ashenfur thinks I'm actually doing a good job."

Cloudstorm's eyes were narrowed. "I don't know what to think. But Dewleaf, don't let it get to you. You will be a great mentor, you'll prove yourself. Then Smokestar will be impressed."

"Maybe," Dewleaf said. "Well, I'm tired, okay? I want some rest."

Cloudstorm nodded. "All right then, see you later."

***

**Different POV:**

"_Hey, Ivystrike," I purr. "Do you want to share some fresh-kill with me?"_

_The brown she-cat turns to look at me, then gives a tiny nod. "Sure," she replies, padding over to sit down beside me. _

_I nudge the starling closer to her so she can take the first bite. I purr to her, but inside, I feel as if I'm betraying Dewleaf. Everyone has been telling me that she's long forgotten me, but I can't stop feeling for her. I miss her so much. I always stare up at the night sky, looking at the stars, wondering if she's sitting under them, too. I haven't lost faith in her, just yet. But I'm barely holding on to it. _

_I look up as Ivystrike nudges me gently. She gestures to the fresh-kill before us, and I nod and take a bite. It tastes bland. But I keep chewing and purring as if I enjoy being here with her._

_Skyfur has been telling me to get to know the other she-cats here. Ivystrike is fine, but Amberpaw__—__never. She's a filthy kittypet! _

_I think about that day when she joined us. Dewleaf told me not to be mean, that I should just accept her. But I never did. And I won't._

_Ivystrike's soft fur brushes against mine, and I shiver. It feels so much like Dewleaf's, except Dewleaf's fur is jet-black and sleek. It's much softer. I feel comforted when I touch it. But I haven't touched it in a while. I haven't felt comforted much lately, either. _

_Ivystrike lets out a small giggle, and I try not to growl at her. _

_She thinks I like her? Well, no, I don't! I never will! Dewleaf is the she-cat for me, and I'll never lose hope. So what if she might be laying next to another tom right now? I'll never lose hope. I'll never lose faith._

_I won't lost faith in her yet. Not just yet. _

_But I'm barely hanging onto it. _

_

* * *

_

**Pretty long chapter. I'm proud of myself! But I may not update for a week or so, since I have a HUGE research essay due soon. **

**Well, what did you think of the chapter? And yes, ending of last chapter was Falconclaw. I know, everyone guessed it, and it was totally obvious! But hey... Oh wait, I have nothing witty to say...**

**Anyway, review!**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Dewleaf, do you mind helping me?" Hazelstep asked politely. "You don't seem busy."

Dewleaf blinked at her former mentor. "Um, sure. What do you need help with?"

Hazelstep seemed a bit embarrassed as she meowed, "Well, you see, I have to collect moss in the forest. I… need to make a nest for myself in the nursery, since… I will be moving in there soon."

"You're moving into the nursery?!" Dewleaf yelped in surprise, her eyes widening.

"Yes," Hazelstep whispered. "Now keep it down, I don't want the whole of ThunderClan knowing just yet!"

Dewleaf nodded her head, her ears flattened. With an amused gleam in her eyes, she asked, "Who is the father? And when are they due?"

The light gray she-cat let out a soft purr. "Well… the father is… Thistlefang. And Mosspelt said that I still have another moon or so."

"Thistlefang?" Dewleaf purred. "I would never have guessed!" She studied the she-cat, noticing she _was _a bit more plump than she normally was. "Congratulations, Hazelstep," she said, dipping her head.

***

"Great job, Lionpaw," Dewleaf meowed.

She and her apprentice were in a clearing, practicing some battle moves. The small golden tom, who'd been training for a little less than a moon, had improved a lot already. He had perfected a few battle techniques already. He's lost his soft kitten down and was maturing quickly. The only disadvantage was that he was the only apprentice in ThunderClan thus far, and had no friends to socialize with.

_If Lightheart and Cloudstorm's kits would've lived, would they have befriended my little apprentice? _she pondered.

The golden tom nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Dewleaf."

He'd also learned to show ultimate respect for his elders, no matter what. He was always courteous and polite.

She nodded approvingly. "You've done very well these past days, you're improving quickly. I'd love to see you actually fighting another Clan!"

He lifted his head proudly, his tail flicking with the slightest movement.

"Come on, we have to go on patrol soon, we should be heading back to camp now," Dewleaf said, getting up to her paws and motioning with her tail.

"Of course," Lionpaw meowed as he followed after her.

They entered camp, and there stood Smokestar.

"Oh, Smokestar, hello," Dewleaf meowed, dipping her head respectfully.

The smoky-gray tom nodded. "Dewleaf," he greeted. Then he glanced over at Lionpaw. "How are you doing?"

Lionpaw dipped his head in reply.

"He's doing great," Dewleaf put in. "He's a great fighter, Smokestar."

The leader looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Well, I'll be joining the patrol with you, then, to see your progress, Lionpaw."

Dewleaf nodded. "Birdwing and Eagletalon will be here soon. They were coming on the patrol with us."

"All right," the leader replied, sitting down.

Soon, Birdwing and Eagletalon approached, surprised at Smokestar's presence.

"Smokestar," Birdwing meowed. "Hello."

Eagletalon dipped his head, and then nodded to Dewleaf and Lionpaw.

The leader stood up and purred. "I wanted to join the patrol, is that all right?"

"Well, sure," Birdwing replied. She signaled with her tail and padded out of camp, the others following closely.

They made their way to the RiverClan border first.

Once at the stream, all five cats began to refresh the scent markers and look for signs of trespassing.

"Hello!" someone called out.

They all looked up to see Rainheart, a RiverClan warrior. Dewleaf's heart skipped a beat. Her father! She hadn't seen him in ages!

"Hello," Birdwing replied. She looked around, then realized that he was alone. "What are you doing here?"

Rainheart replied, "Fishing, of course." He dipped his head to the others, his eyes lingering on Dewleaf for a moment longer.

"I see," Birdwing said. "We'll be going now, good bye."

As the ThunderClan cats turned to leave, Dewleaf hissed quietly, "Go on without me. I'll catch up soon."

"Okay," Birdwing replied. All the other cats blinked at her in understanding as Lionpaw looked at her in confusion.

Dewleaf flicked her tail gratefully and waited until the ThunderClan cats were out of sight before turning to her father. "Rainheart," she mewed.

The black, gray, and white tom stayed on the RiverClan side of the stream, but was nonetheless glad to see her. "Dewleaf, how are you? I haven't seen you in moons!"

"I know, I'm sorry," she replied. "I returned from RainClan several moons ago."

Rainheart nodded, gazing at her fondly. "Did you like it there?"

"I did, I wish I could go back," Dewleaf meowed longingly.

Rainheart must've noticed her tone, because he asked, "What's wrong, you seem a bit distracted."

Dewleaf lowered her head and sighed. "Well… I miss RainClan. Especially… Stormpelt." She raised her head. "Do you know him?"

"Oh, yes, I do. He was just a kit when I left," Rainheart purred. "You… you two must have been close to each other."

Dewleaf nodded. Then she looked up, her blue eyes bright. "What are you doing so close to the border? You weren't really fishing, were you?"

Rainheart shrugged sheepishly. "No, not really." Sighing, he said, "Actually, I was thinking about… your mother."

"Feathercloud?"

"Yes, silly. Your mother," Rainheart purred. His voice softened. "How is she? Has she… has she given birth to Thorntail's kits yet?" His voice held no jealousy, only longing and sadness.

Dewleaf nodded. "Lionpaw. He's my apprentice now. He was that golden tom you saw with us earlier."

"Oh," Rainheart mewed, a bit downheartedly. "Lionpaw, hmm? I suppose he was named after—"

"Lionstar," they both said in unison.

Rainheart nodded, his green eyes glowing with fondness. "Well, I should go."

"Yes, the others are probably wondering about me," Dewleaf meowed. "Bye," she mewed, turning to leave.

"I'll see you at the Gathering tonight!" Rainheart called as he bounded away.

_That's right! I forgot there would be a Gathering tonight! _

***

Dewleaf gazed up at Smokestar, who was standing atop the Highrock. He was announcing the cats who'd attend the Gathering. He'd already said the obvious, that he, Ashenfur, and the medicine cats would go.

"…Leafdapple, Thorntail, Feathercloud, Dawnheart, Whitepelt, Berrytail, Flightfur, Clovernight, Lightheart, Falconclaw, Dewleaf, and Lionpaw will join us."

Dewleaf's tail curled with delight. She glanced over at her apprentice, who looked equally excited. _It's been such a long time since I've gone, I can't wait! _

***

Dewleaf stared up at the full moon, feeling breathless as she padded after her Clanmates. Lightheart purred from beside her.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she meowed.

Dewleaf nodded, her whiskers twitching. "Yeah, I guess." She looked ahead, her paws tingling with excitement. At her other side was her sister, Clovernight. "I haven't been here in such a long time."

Clovernight nodded, though her eyes looked straight ahead. "I want to see Rainheart," she stated.

"I saw him earlier today, on patrol," Dewleaf offered in a quiet voice. "He'll be here. He told me he'd see me here."

Clovernight nodded. "Good." She was silent the rest of the trip.

When they bounded into the clearing, they discovered that all the others were already there.

Almost immediately, Dewleaf noticed Streamgaze's bright silver fur and went over to speak to her. She was sitting alone, quietly, looking about shyly.

"Hi, Streamgaze," Dewleaf purred.

The silver she-cat looked around, then relaxed. "Hi, Dewleaf. How is the prey running?"

Dewleaf shrugged. "Fine. It's greenleaf, plenty to go around."

Streamgaze nodded. "I see. Where are our siblings?"

"Cloudstorm didn't come, though Clovernight did. I think she went to look for Rainheart," Dewleaf explained, looking around. "Oh, look, there's Feathercloud."

Their mother was padding toward them slowly, taking uncertain steps. Finally, she came within earshot. "Hello, Streamgaze," she meowed quietly.

The two look-alikes stared at each other for a moment, tense and awkward silence hanging between them.

Finally, Feathercloud broke the silence. "I hope you are well."

Streamgaze blinked, but said nothing.

"I…I have to go," Feathercloud stammered, turning and rushing away.

Dewleaf stared after her, then sighed. "Sorry about that, Streamgaze. I guess… she just isn't…" She shrugged. "I don't know…"

Streamgaze shrugged and flicked her tail as she padded away, her head low.

Dewleaf sighed and turned away. She looked up to see Falconclaw staring at her, his head tilted to the side. Holding her breath, she padded over to him, trying to act casual.

"She's your sister, isn't she?" the tom meowed quietly.

Dewleaf gulped, then nodded. "Don't tell anyone, Falconclaw, please."

The ginger tom, who was a head taller than her, despite being younger, looked down at her with an unreadable emotion clouding his eyes. "I wouldn't, Dewleaf. If you don't want me to, I won't." She let out a soft breath of air. "Thanks, Falconclaw."

He gave her a tiny nod, then motioned to the High Stump. "The Gathering is about to begin. Come on." He led her to where the ThunderClan cats normally sat and sat down, tidily curling his ginger tail over his paws.

Dewleaf followed and sat beside him, glancing around the clearing. She spotted her mother, sitting with Thorntail. Clovernight was sitting beside Leafdapple and Lionpaw. She scolded herself silently for forgetting about her apprentice, then looked up at the leaders expectantly.

Lightstar, the WindClan leader, spoke first.

"I am happy to report that WindClan is doing very well. Greenleaf has been very rewarding. Also, we have two new apprentices. Clawpaw and Breezepaw came with us tonight to the Gathering."

A few meows of approval rang across the clearing.

The ShadowClan leader, Blackstar, went next. He was very brief. "ShadowClan is prospering. We have a new warrior, Mistfur."

Smokestar went next. He went on about the plentiful prey, then announced that Lionpaw had been named an apprentice.

The RiverClan leader, Larkstar, was last. After briefly announcing the plentiful fish and prey in his Clan, he announced, "Lilypaw, our medicine cat apprentice, has received the name Lilypelt."

Then the Gathering was over. The leaders did not immediately leap down, though. They lingered for a while, speaking in low voices.

Dewleaf glanced around, then padded to her apprentice. "Lionpaw," she called. "How was your first Gathering?"

Lionpaw looked up at her, his amber eyes alight with excitement. "Great! I've already met some other apprentices."

"That's good," Dewleaf meowed, nudging him playfully. She looked up, hearing her name being called. It was Clovernight.

"Dewleaf, look," she hissed. "Over there."

She turned to look. Feathercloud, flanked by Thorntail, was staring at Rainheart. They were at the edge of the clearing, where they wouldn't be easily noticed.

"Come on," Clovernight meowed, leading her closer so they could hear.

Rainheart nodded to them. "Feathercloud, Thorntail. You must be very proud of your kit. Congratulations." His voice was even and steady, but his green eyes were full of emotion.

Feathercloud flinched back, surprised. "Oh, well, thank you." She dipped her head, then glanced over to Thorntail.

The golden-brown tom's muscles were tense and stiffened, as if he was bracing for an attack. After a few awkward moments, he relaxed and gave a curt nod in reply.

"Thorntail, perhaps you should… go," Feathercloud mewed quietly.

"Feathercloud," he growled warningly.

"Thorntail, go," Feathercloud repeated, more firmly this time.

The tom glared for a moment, then twitched an ear and turned away, prowling back toward

Feathercloud turned back to Rainheart, padding a few steps closer. "I…uh, saw Streamgaze," she mewed.

Dewleaf and Clovernight exchanged looks, then turned back to the scene.

Rainheart blinked, then asked, "And? What did she say?"

Feathercloud shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "She didn't say much, actually. She didn't say anything at all."

"I see. She… she's a very shy cat," Rainheart explained hastily.

"Too shy to even say hello to her mother?" Feathercloud snapped.

"Well, she wouldn't be if you'd been more motherly toward her! This is your first time speaking to her in what? Several moons!" Rainheart retorted angrily.

Feathercloud opened her mouth angrily, then closed it shut. She let out a sigh and looked up at Rainheart apologetically.

His green eyes, formerly hard and full of anger, now softened. Hesitantly, he took a step forward and touched his muzzle to hers, then drew away quickly. Feathercloud was still, then she glanced down at her paws.

At this time, the leaders had finished conversing and leapt down from the High Stump. Smokestar yowled for the ThunderClan cats and began to leave the clearing.

***

**Different POV**

_I watch as she makes her way to the group of ThunderClan warriors. I can't help but stare, she looks dazzling. The way her fur shimmers in the light of the full moon fills me with awe. I glance to the side, though, hearing a low growl. A jealous golden brown tom is staring after her as well. He bounds toward her, giving her a quick nuzzle, then starts speaking. I turn away. _

_Larkstar is calling. I pad over to join my Clanmates, giving a nod to Streamgaze in encouragement. I feel a strong twinge of pity and worry for her. Sighing, I look up at Larkstar expectantly. He flicks his tail and begins to lead his Clan away._

_I lag behind, at the back of the group. Glancing once more, back at _her.

_And I tell myself, _It's done.

* * *

**Okay, so what do guys think? I know the ending was short and a bit... rushed, I guessed. But I was working on this for a course of three days and just wanted to get it out of my head. **

**I have a plot planned out, but I'm VERY torn between Falconclaw and Stormpelt**

**-clutches hair and growls, frustrated-**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Let's go to the WindClan border next, then we can head back to camp," Forestlily meowed, flicking her tail and trotting forward.

Dewleaf let Berrytail and Stonefoot ahead of her, then surged after her Clanmates. The trees overhead, thick with foliage, provided shade from the hot sun. The sun shone through the branches and leaves, dappling the forest floor. The sounds of chirping birds and active prey could be heard. But the cats didn't try to hunt; their fresh-kill pile was filled to the top already. Prey was so plentiful that only one or two hunting patrols needed to be sent out a day. ThunderClan was prospering.

The black she-cat blinked and let out a small sigh, gazing about her surroundings. She'd been sent on a border patrol with Forestlily, Stonefoot, and Berrytail.

In a matter of moments, they were at the moor. The wind blew toward them, alerting them of the presence of a WindClan patrol. It was being led by the senior warrior, Icecloud. She dipped her head and called, "Hello, how is the prey running?"

"Fine," Forestlily replied curtly, nodding her head as well. "How is the prey running in WindClan?"

"Greenleaf is rewarding," Icecloud answered. She flicked her tail in farewell, then, as if on cue, all three WindClan cats on the patrol broke into a sprint, racing across the moor.

Dewleaf blinked. Every time she saw them run, she was awed.

"Back to camp," Berrytail grumbled. "Come on, I'm hungry."

Forestlily shot him an impatient glance. "Okay, okay, let's go." She rushed ahead of the other three cats, making it clear that she was leading the patrol.

Dewleaf rolled her eyes and muttered, "What's the rush, we're all heading toward the same place."

Stonefoot, from beside her, let out a purr. "True."

When they got into camp, they all made their way to the fresh-kill pile. Since they'd been placed on the dawn patrol, all four were hungry and sleepy.

Dewleaf padded over to Lightheart, who was picking through the fresh-kill pile. "Hi, Lightheart," she meowed as she pulled out a vole for herself. She sat down and bit into it.

"Hey, Dewleaf!" Lightheart purred, speaking quickly. "I…uh, have some news."

"What is it?" Dewleaf asked casually, chewing the bite in her mouth.

The gray she-cat hesitated, then whispered, "I'm carrying Cloudstorm's kits—again. I'm so excited, but… scared, too."

"That's great," Dewleaf replied, her blue eyes widening in surprise. "I'm so happy for you! Have you told Cloudstorm yet?"

Lightheart hushed her, then shook her head. "I can't. I don't know what to say. What if he doesn't like the fact that I'm carrying?"

"Well, I could talk to him for you," Dewleaf offered.

"No, thanks, but I have to be the one to tell him." She sighed and fretted to herself.

Dewleaf gobbled up some more vole and meowed, "He'll understand. He loves you, Lightheart."

The older gray she-cat looked up and purred. "Yeah, he does…" She sighed and began to pad away, muttering to herself quietly.

Dewleaf let out an amused purr as she finished up the vole. Then she stretched her legs and slowly made her way back into the warriors den. Yawning, she found her nest and curled up, blinking her eyes closed and drifting asleep.

***

Dewleaf blinked, lifting her head. She'd been woken by something, but what? She glanced around the den, yawning drowsily. No one else was resting. She got up to her paws and shook her head, flinching when an ear-splitting screech pierced her ears. _What's going on? _She raced out of the den, bumping into Whitepelt.

"Oh, sorry," she muttered. "What's happening?"

Whitepelt glanced at her. "It's Hazelstep. The kits are coming."

Dewleaf's eyes widened. "Oh, right, her kits are due." She glanced across the clearing. Thistlefang was ducking into the nursery. Frostpool raced to and from the medicine cat's den to the nursery, fetching certain herbs as Mosspelt worked with the queen in the medicine cat's den.

Finally, the two medicine cats emerged.

"How many kits?" Snowstorm asked anxiously.

Mosspelt purred. "Three healthy kits. Hazelstep is just fine, just a bit worn out. Thistlefang is in there with her at the moment, but I'm sure you can visit them later."

Dewleaf felt a familiar flutter in her gut. She felt almost jealous at her former mentor. She had a loving mate and three kits. She had no one.

_I have to stop thinking this way. There are plenty of cats in ThunderClan that care about me, _she scolded herself._ My mother and siblings, and my former mentor. Lightheart and I are good friends. Falconclaw is a good friend, too. And I'm sure I'll find a special tom for me here in ThunderClan soon… _For once, her thoughts didn't immediately jump to Stormpelt.

***

"Come on, Lionpaw, let's see what you've got," Dewleaf meowed.

Her apprentice, his amber eyes gleaming, bunched his muscles underneath him. He seemed to be thinking. Then, without warning, he leapt. Dewleaf scrambled up and dodged, but now before he gripped her hindleg and tripped her. She let out a grunt as she fell forward in the grass. She got up and shook her fur.

"Wow, great job," she commended. "You were thinking of a strategy, not just attacking."

The golden tom lifted his head proudly. "Thank you."

Dewleaf nodded. "You're welcome. You're doing great, Lionpaw, you're improving very quickly."

The young tom's amber eyes glowed. "Do you think I can get my warrior name soon?" he asked.

"Well, not yet," Dewleaf purred. "Mind you, you still have a few moons of training left."

"Right," Lionpaw meowed, nodding.

"Okay, let's see how well you can defend yourself," Dewleaf meowed, leaping up to her paws and eying her apprentice.

He let out a hiss and crouched low, ready to spring into action.

After circling him a few times, she leapt at him, calculating her jump so that she landed right on his back. He tried to shake her off, but she was too big, and ended up falling. Dewleaf pinned him to the ground, purring triumphantly.

Out of nowhere, Lionpaw's hindleg kicked her belly, and she had to gasp for her breath. Lionpaw took the opportunity to leap up and bat at her muzzle with an sheathed paw.

Dewleaf blinked in surprise. "Wow, Lionpaw, you're doing great! If you keep it up, you might even get your warrior name early!"

The golden tom's tail flew up. "I'll train extra hard, Dewleaf, I promise!"

***

Dewleaf padded into camp, then turned back to her apprentice. "Good job, Lionpaw. You have the rest of the day free to yourself."

Lionpaw blinked gratefully and padded off, yelling, "I'm going to tell Thorntail!"

She let out an amused purr and glanced around the clearing. Her belly grumbled loudly. Obviously, the vole hadn't been enough. She padded toward the fresh-kill pile in search of food.

Stonefoot, Falconclaw, and Eagletalon were all sitting there, each eating his own piece of fresh-kill. They all looked up.

"Hi, Dewleaf," Falconclaw purred, looking up from his rabbit.

Eagletalon nodded, and Stonefoot flicked his tail.

Dewleaf dipped her head in greeting.

"Hungry?" Stonefoot meowed.

"Yeah," Dewleaf replied, purring.

Falconclaw moved over a bit, then offered, "Want some of my rabbit? I don't think I can eat it all on my own."

The black she-cat glanced over at him gratefully. She didn't want to take another whole piece of fresh-kill for herself, especially since she'd had a vole previously. "Thank you, that'd be great." She settled down beside the ginger pelted tom and took a bite of the rabbit. It wasn't common prey in ThunderClan, and it was always nice to have some of it.

Falconclaw shifted, letting out a small cough. This made Dewleaf look up.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He nodded quickly, glancing over at his two brothers.

Dewleaf looked at him longer, then said, "The weather _is _getting a bit cooler now, maybe you're getting whitecough?"

Falconclaw shook his head. "I'm fine, really," he said.

A short purr rose up from either Stonefoot and Eagletalon. They were both looking at the pair, amused.

"What?" Falconclaw growled in a friendly, brotherly tone, flicking his tail and bending his head over to take another bite of the rabbit.

Dewleaf watched them curiously, noticing an exchange between the three brothers. Their eyes glowed in amusement, but Falconclaw seemed more indignant. Had they shared a joke before she sat down with them? Or… was the joke about her? Flicking her tail awkwardly, she took another bite of the rabbit and gulped it down slowly.

"I wonder how Hazelstep is doing," Stonefoot remarked.

Eagletalon purred. "Thistlefang really seemed happy, didn't he?"

Dewleaf took another bite of the rabbit as she listened to the toms talk amongst each other.

"Yeah, they're both very proud," Falconclaw added. "More kits in ThunderClan is good." He glanced over at Dewleaf, then took some rabbit for himself. "How is Lionpaw's training going, Dewleaf?" he asked.

The black-furred she-cat shrugged. "Good. As a matter of fact, he has some very good moves. I'm sure he'll be great in battle."

He nodded. "That's good."

"He still has some time before getting his warrior name," she added.

"What's it like mentoring your own brother?" Eagletalon asked.

She glanced at him, her pelt prickling nervously. She knew some cats in ThunderClan didn't think she should be mentoring her own half-brother. She shrugged. "It's fine, I guess…" She trailed off, then looked up.

The three toms were all looking at her curiously, but they looked away quickly.

"I'm sure you three will get apprentices soon," she meowed. "Hazelstep just had her kits, and I'm sure another queen will be bound to be carrying soon."

Stonefoot shrugged. "I hope so. I'd love to be a mentor."

"Me, too," Falconclaw meowed in agreement. "I—"

He was cut off when a black, gray, and white she-cat padded forward. "Hi," she meowed, glancing warily at Eagletalon before turning to Dewleaf.

"Clovernight, what're you doing?" Dewleaf asked.

The she-cat shrugged. "Do you want to see Hazelstep's kits? She said I could, come on."

Dewleaf got up slowly. "Sure, why not?" She glanced over at the other three, then excused herself. "Thanks for letting me eat with you," she said. As she stepped away, Falconclaw brushed her flank with his tail. She stifled a shiver, feeling strange inside. She blinked at him, then followed her sister toward the nursery.

They stepped inside quietly. Hazelstep was lying on her side, nursing the three kits. Her mate, Thistlefang, was sitting nearby, his tail curled over his paws and his eyes fixed on his family. He looked up for a moment to greet the two warriors before letting his eyes flutter back down to his mate and kits. He licked Hazelstep's head, then stepped back, growling protectively.

Dewleaf observed the two cats' relationship before looking down at the kits. There were three, one tom and two she-kits. "Congratulations," she murmured softly.

Hazelstep nodded. "Thank you."

"What are their names?" Clovernight wondered out loud, lifting her head and looking up at the two parents expectantly.

Hazelstep nodded to the brown tomcat. "His name is Talon." Then she moved her muzzle over a female. She had a black pelt and a few white markings. "That's Shadekit. We named her after my father, Shadowclaw." Then she gestured to the long-haired, white she-kit. "And that's Fernkit. She looks awfully like Snowstorm, doesn't she?"

Dewleaf nodded in agreement as she stared down at the cats. She could definitely see a resemblance for Shadekit and her grandfather, who'd passed away several moons ago. And as for Fernkit, her fluffy white fur did make her seem like a mini-Snowstorm. Talonkit was obviously the dominant one, for he pushed past his sisters to nurse from his mother. Dewleaf let out a purr of amusement as she watched them. Their eyes hadn't even opened yet.

Hazelstep curled her tail around her kits and meowed, "I'd like some rest, if you don't mind."

"Oh, of course," Dewleaf meowed, a bit disappointed. She nudged her sister and the two stepped out of the nursery quickly. "Well, I think I should get some rest," she said.

Clovernight nodded. "Yeah, me too. Come on." She led the way to the warriors den. They paused outside, though. Clovernight turned to her sister and said excitedly, "You've done it!"

Dewleaf blinked in confusion. "Done what?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"You've forgotten about Stormpelt, you've moved on!" Clovernight purred. "I know I shouldn't be bringing him up, but—"

"What're you talking about?" Dewleaf hissed in a low voice.

Clovernight rolled her eyes, obviously not noticing the small growl in Dewleaf's words. "I see the way you and Falconclaw look at each other. Well, at least, the way he looks at you." Her dark fur was fluffed in anticipation, and her green eyes shone. She had a contemplative, yet dramatic, expression on her face.

Dewleaf shook her head, her eyes wide. "Clovernight! I have no idea what you're talking about. Falconclaw's just a very good friend, we're close, yes." Lowering her voice, she scolded, "You couldn't have said it any louder! I'm sure by now the whole of ThunderClan thinks Falconclaw and I are going to be mates. I don't think of him that way. Mind you, he and I are close friend, but don't be mistaken."

"Fine, Dewleaf, think what you want," Clovernight mewed, shrugging it off and padding into the den. "But you're in denial."

Dewleaf rolled her eyes and padded in after her.

Only after did she notice a lump of ginger fur close to the entrance of the den.

It was Falconclaw. He must've heard everything!

She studied him closely and realized that he was probably asleep, from the looks of the steady rise and fall of his flank.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned her head away and closed her eyes.

_Only after she turned away did Falconclaw lift his head up and blink at the she-cat before shifting into another position and letting his head fall down on his nest again._

**Different POV**

"_Cloudstorm, can I talk to you for a moment?" comes a meow._

_I turn around briskly, purring when my eyes settle on a light gray she-cat, her soft green eyes glowing with affection. I walk over to her quickly and lick the top of her head. "Sure, Lightheart."_

_She returns the gesture and beckons with her tail. Once she's sure I'm following, she leads the way out of camp. We stop at a small clearing just on the outskirts of camp and turn to each other._

"_What is it?" I ask, nuzzling her gently. I know she's got something important to say. I can see it from the way she hesitantly opens her mouth, then closes it. Her ears flick around nervously, then she looks up. _

_Her green eyes are a bit uncertain. "I have to tell you something."_

_I nod, trying to be calm. But I think I already know what it is. _

"_I'm going to have kits again," she blurts out quickly before blinking her eyes._

_I let out a breath and press myself into her, comforting both of us. "That's great," I purr. But I can't help but feel a twinge of fear within me. She's been pregnant before. The kits were stillborn, and she almost lost her life. It was the scariest time in my life. _

_She must've noticed, because she untangles herself from me and looks me directly in the eye._

"_I'm afraid," I admit quietly. "I don't want anything happening to you." As I say this, the volume and intensity of my voice rises. But I can't control it as I tuck my muzzle into her fur. _

_She nods, then rasps her tongue over my ear gently, sighing and resting her chin on my head. "I'll be all right, Cloudstorm, I promise."_

_I look up at her, and our eyes meet. Letting out a small sigh, I tell her, "I love you, Lightheart."_

_Her whiskers twitch a bit, then she buries her muzzle into my chest fur. "I love you, too," she whispers in a soft, delicate voice. _

_A light breeze picks up, and her fur begins to ruffle. _

"_Come on, we should get back to camp," I suggest._

_Lightheart nods and gets up to her paws. Flashing me a playful glance, she begins to race back into the camp._

_My heart lurches as she picks up speed. What if she trips? She can injure herself, and— _

_I stop myself. I can't jump to the worst conclusions. I pad after her quickly, keeping an eye on her gray fur. We rush into camp together, gazing at each other fondly. And it feels like an aura is surrounding us. An aura of love._

* * *

**Okay, what'd you all think?**

**The last chapter's Mystery POV was Rainheart. Duh, it was obvious. But some of you didn't know, so I just thought I'd mention it.**

**And yes, this was Cloudstorm. It's a bit obvious. I'm too lazy to look over it, so, yeah...**

**I'm a beta reader, peeps, so if you want me to look over your work, PM me. **


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Dewleaf nuzzled him, then said sadly, "Stormpelt, I'll have to return to ThunderClan soon." She braced herself for his reply._

"_I-I don't want you to go," he said immediately, tapping her shoulder with his tail and turning to face her. The two cats had stopped walking, Skyfur and Amberpaw were padding ahead._

_Dewleaf sighed. "I know. I want to stay, too. But I have to go back, to see my sister, and… my mother, and father, and…" She leaned into Stormpelt's brittle fur, her eyes full of sorrow._

_Stormpelt licked her ear. "I understand, Dewleaf. I'm going to miss you a lot. Perhaps you could come to visit us often?"_

"_Sure, if Stealthstar would allow it," Dewleaf answered. "I'm going to miss you so much, Stormpelt."_

"_And I'll miss you." He licked Dewleaf's cheek tenderly, then drew close to her, tucking her pretty head under his chin. _

Dewleaf sighed as she remembered the distant memory. It was when she'd first announced to Stormpelt that she'd return with Cloudstorm and Falconclaw to ThunderClan. He'd been devastated.

And she'd promised that she'd try to visit him sometimes. But she hadn't kept her word. She was ashamed. _But it's against the warrior code to have cross Clan relationships, no matter what Clan of whatever origin… Besides, I'm sure Stormpelt has other friends now, and maybe even a special she-cat. _She sighed to herself quietly before sitting down and beginning to groom her black fur.

She knew that she'd kept Stormpelt off of her mind for a while now, but now, all her emotions were flooding back to her. She'd take it easy today. She'd spend the day thinking, reflecting, and coming to a decision. Her life would be much easier once everything was sorted out.

She let out a small growl, frustrated at herself for getting herself into a mess such as this. She got up abruptly and decided to go for a walk. The weather was fair, and it'd do her some good to go out of the busy hustle of camp.

As she padded toward the camp exit, a mew stopped her. She glanced around.

"Hey, Dewleaf!" Lionpaw meowed, bounding over excitedly.

Dewleaf purred. "Hi, Lionpaw. What are you up to?"

The golden-furred tom shrugged. "I was wondering what you were doing. I've been sitting around in camp all day."

Dewleaf drew in a sharp breath. She'd forgotten all about her apprentice! She'd been so busy thinking about herself, and she'd left him all alone. And it was nearly mid-day.

"I'm sorry, Lionpaw, I was… uh, preoccupied. I'll make it up to you, I promise. How about we go hunting?"

Lionpaw nodded eagerly. "Sure! Let's go!" He jumped up to his paws and began racing toward the camp exit, his golden tail streaming out behind him.

Dewleaf purred and bounded after him, calling, "Wait for me, Lionpaw!" She caught up to him and began to lead the way out of camp. "Let's go to the Maple Tree first, okay?"

Lionpaw nodded. "Sure."

The two half-siblings padded through the forest, sniffing for prey. The sun shone down on them, but the thick trees blocked out most of the heat. There was plenty of foliage and undergrowth for them to prowl through.

"You smell anything?" Dewleaf murmured quietly.

Lionpaw took another whiff and slowly shook his head. "Nothing yet," he replied in a low voice. Suddenly, he darted away, silently shooting into cover of ferns. A few moments later, he returned with a mouse dangling from his jaws. "Look at that," he purred proudly, spitting it out.

"Good job," Dewleaf commended, her blue eyes twinkling with pride. "You're doing great, Lionpaw. You'll get your warrior name in no time!"

Lionpaw's chest puffed out with pride. "Thanks, Dewleaf!" he mewed to his half-sister. He gave his fur a quick lick, then dropped to a hunter's crouch again.

Dewleaf let her eyes linger on her apprentice for a moment longer, then she turned away and stalked a few paces away, her ears perked up and her mouth slightly open. A brown blur whirled by her, almost soundlessly. She leapt at it quickly, trapping the water vole with her front paws, then gave it the killing blow. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she kicked some dirt over it and smoothed it down, then tested the air again. The smell of sparrow reached her. She glanced around quickly, spotting it flapping down to a low branch. She prowled closer, but the bird fluttered up into the sky and over another tree. Her tail lowering in disappointment, she turned away and scented the air.

A while later, she and her apprentice met back up. Between the two of them, they'd caught a lot of prey.

"Good," Dewleaf meowed. "The Clan will be well-fed today. Come on, let's go back to camp." She picked up half of the fresh-kill and beckoned to Lionpaw. He did the same and followed after her.

***

Dewleaf curled up in her nest in the warriors den, her belly full with the mouse she'd recently eaten. But her heart felt hollow and empty, and her mind filled with thoughts of Stormpelt.

_I have to forget about him! I admit, I really liked him. But now that I'm back here in ThunderClan, where I _belong_, I need to focus on my duties, as a warrior and a mentor! _Growling to herself, she thought, _He's probably forgotten all about me, now! We were _just _friends, nothing more. Besides, there are plenty of potential toms in ThunderClan, like… _She shook her head and went on rambling to herself, _Anyhow, it's against the warrior code for me to… have feelings for anyone in any rival Clan…_

She sighed and closed her eyes. But sleep wouldn't come to her. Only thoughts.

***

Dewleaf emerged from the warriors den, stretching and blinking. She let out a heavy sigh, feeling every weight on her shoulders vanishing, as if she was blowing away her troubles. She had come to a resolution with herself.

A bright smile on her face, she purred a "hello" to everyone that passed by her.

"Hey, Dewleaf," a cat meowed.

She turned her head and purred, "Hi, Falconclaw."

The ginger tom took a few steps closer to her, then sat down, neatly curling his tail around his dark ginger paws, and nodded. "Nice rest?"

Dewleaf purred. "Oh, yeah, definitely." _In more ways than you can think. _

He nodded a bit, then asked abruptly, "Do you want to go hunting with me?"

She thought for a moment, then accepted. "Sure. Let's go."

**This was definitely short, but it was more of a filler/clarifier thingy. Please review. And no short end part this time.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! I've updated!**

**YAY!**

**And I'd like to mention that xxcrowysnextmatexx gave me some ideas and assistance with this chapter. Thanks, Crowy! **

**Now, enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 6

Falconclaw gave her a small purr and gestured with his tail. "Let's go. We can try hunting by the Sky Oak."

"Okay," Dewleaf replied, nodding and getting up to follow the tom.

He glanced back at her with his gentle blue eyes before leading the way out of camp, toward the Sky Oak. They walked in silence at first, flicking their ears and glancing around nervously.

Dewleaf's eyes darted around, and she wondered what to say. They hadn't spoken in a few days, but now, everything between them was so…awkward.

He broke the silence first.

"How's Lionpaw doing with this training?" His voice started out a bit hoarse, then ended bold and firm.

She smiled at the thought of her little brother. "He's doing great so far," she said. "I know he still has a lot to learn, but he's an extremely good fighter, and his hunting skills have improved."

Falconclaw nodded. "That's good. He'll be getting his warrior name in a moon or two, right?"

"Yep," she answered.

Afterward, the two fell silent again.

When they reached the Sky Oak, Dewleaf found a nice hiding spot in a clump of ferns that she slid under a few moments after sniffing the air. On the other paw, Falconclaw glanced at her hesitantly, as if he wanted to say something. She nodded at him expectantly, but he shook his head and turned away, padding a few tail-lengths away and taking cover in some brambles instead.

Dewleaf shrugged to herself and glanced around swiftly, keeping her jaws parted slightly. After a while, she smelled vole. Swiveling her ears around to pinpoint its location, she heard it scurrying about. She turned her head and saw it huddled near the roots of the great oak tree and crept forward, taking a few steps closer to it. Stalking form undergrowth to undergrowth, but being unseen and unheard, she managed to make it a tail-length from the prey. But it didn't stay still. After watching it, she lashed out at it quickly. It was stunned only for a minute, though, and began to run. But she was quicker to react and had the advantage. With a squeak, it died when she delivered the final blow.

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she buried it by the roots of a tree. But she'd let it make noise, and most of the prey had probably hidden. She sighed when she saw Falconclaw padding over with empty jaws.

"Sorry about that," Dewleaf meowed.

He shrugged. "It's okay, you caught something. There's plenty of territory, and plenty of prey to catch. It's greenleaf, Dewleaf."

"Right," she muttered. "Want to try somewhere else?"

"Sure," Falconclaw answered, glancing around aimlessly. "There's no rush, there's already plenty of prey for the Clan. I had nothing to do, and I didn't seem like I was accomplishing much by sitting around camp."

Dewleaf purred. "Yeah, sometimes I get that feeling, too." _Like when I'm just sitting around thinking, forgetting all about my warrior duties and mentor responsibilities._

Falconclaw looked up at her, then nodded. He got up abruptly and mewed, "Shall we try by the stream?"

"Oh, okay," Dewleaf replied, a bit excited to go to the RiverClan border. Perhaps she'd see her father there? Maybe her sister. She felt that familiar hopeful thump in her heart and sighed.

Her companion gave her a quick glance before looking away and getting up. Without a word, he flicked his tail and headed for the RiverClan border. She quickly clambered up to her paws and followed.

Dewleaf's ear flicked as they approached the stream. She could hear it, its soft babbling and gurgling as the water tumbled over rocks and gushed down the streambed. She approached the stream slowly, her eyes flickering over the border and into RiverClan territory. There was no sign of any RiverClan cats. Somewhat disappointed and a bit relieved, she turned away and faced Falconclaw.

He gave her a questioning look, then shook his head. "You miss your father?"

She thought for a moment, then answered, "Not necessarily. I just… I wanted to see him, but he's not here." She shrugged to show that it didn't bother her too much. "Hunting?"

"Right," Falconclaw replied, sniffing the air. "I smell water vole, I'll be right back."

Dewleaf purred and found a place to hide herself.

***

"We haven't caught much, but it's getting late, don't you think?" Dewleaf inquired.

Falconclaw glanced up at the sky, then nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I suppose." He looked down at the small pile of fresh-kill. Between the two of them, they'd only managed to catch a few mice, a couple voles, and a thrush. He picked up some of the fresh-kill in his jaws and gestured to Dewleaf. She nodded and picked up the rest. Flicking his tail, Falconclaw led the way back to camp.

When they entered the clearing, they'd already assigned a cat to guard the camp for the evening and night. Thistlefang was sitting at the entrance. He nodded gruffly to the two younger warriors.

Dewleaf gave him a nod and dropped the prey on the fresh-kill pile, then turned to Falconclaw. "That was a nice hunt, wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Sure was. I certainly enjoyed it," he replied.

They hadn't caught much, but she had to admit, she'd enjoyed spending time with him, talking to him. He was so relaxed and laid-back…

"Me, too," she found herself saying. Blushing, she meowed, "I'll, uh, see you later?"

He nodded again, blinking.

She purred and turned away, beginning to pad toward the warriors den. But it was only sunset, and she wasn't tired anyway. _I should go visit the nursery, _she thought. _I'm sure Lightheart and Hazelstep will like the company._

She changed direction and slipped into the nursery. Lightheart was sitting only a tail-length or so from Hazelstep, and the two she-cats were speaking quietly. It amazed Dewleaf how much they looked alike. The two sisters weren't from the same litter, but they shared their heritage—their parents were Shadowclaw, who was now deceased, and Snowstorm.

"Hi, you two," Dewleaf mewed cheerfully.

Lightheart purred. "Hi, Dewleaf," she meowed. Sighing in relief, she said, "I'm so glad you came to visit. Cloudstorm and Thistlefang were the only ones who came to visit today. And believe me, having toms treating you as if you were a precious piece of catnip in the middle of leaf-bare isn't too great."

"Oh, I know," Hazelstep mewed, rolling her eyes. "Well, Dewleaf, how was your day?"

"Great," she replied, shrugging. "How are you two doing?"

Hazelstep sighed and twitched her ears toward her kits. "It's a bit tiring being cooped up with them."

Dewleaf purred in amusement. "I'd be, too."

"I've been bored all day," Lightheart meowed, exasperated.

"I'm sorry," Dewleaf purred. "What do you do all day?"

Lightheart shrugged. "Sit around, maybe go for a short walk…"

Dewleaf nodded to show she was listening as she went over to peek at Hazelstep's kits. Shadekit, a black she-kit, was the only one awake. Talonkit and Fernkit were curled against their mother's belly, comfortable and fast asleep. She sniffed at them curiously. They were so small and delicate, she was scared to go any closer.

"They're a sight, aren't they?" Hazelstep purred, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Don't worry, you won't hurt them, and they won't hurt you," she meowed, as if she'd read her thoughts.

Dewleaf nodded and nudged Shadekit gently. The black kit squeaked and blinked up at her with amber eyes. "Oh, I didn't know the kits had opened their eyes," she meowed.

"They did," Hazelstep mewed, nodding. "Only a day or so ago. Most kits open their eyes when they're five to eight sunrises old."

Dewleaf purred. "Shadekit has the prettiest amber eyes," she murmured. "I suppose that comes from her father's kin, such as Thorntail or Dawnheart?"

"I suppose," Hazelstep replied, nodding.

Dewleaf glanced at Shadekit again before turning to Lightheart. "So when will you have your kits?"

The gray she-cat thought for a moment. "I think a little more than a moon." Shifting in her nest, she yawned and murmured, "I'll be glad when the time comes."

Dewleaf purred. "I'll be, too. I'll have little kits for kin!"

Lightheart flicked her tail and purred. "Right, you will."

"Well, I'll let you two rest," Dewleaf said, heading toward the exit. "I'll see you later."

Lightheart nodded, and Hazelstep flicked an ear. "Thanks for visiting us," Hazelstep mewed.

Dewleaf nodded as she exited the den, then glanced around camp. It was getting darker. Realizing that she was tired, she made her way into the warriors den. A few cats were already inside, curled up on their nests.

As she settled down in her own nest, she caught Falconclaw's eye. He gave her a weary but hearty purr before turning his head away.

Dewleaf kept her blue eyes on the his pelt for a moment longer before tucking her nose into her warm fur, thoughts muddled. She'd enjoyed Falconclaw's company, but… what was with his strange behavior today? It had almost seemed as if he'd been hiding something from her, but had wanted to tell her about it at the same time…

"Hey, Dewleaf," came a loud meow.

The black she-cat looked up at her sister's voice. A few nearby warriors stirred as well.

"Can't a warrior get any sleep around here?" grumbled Forestlily from the back of the den, blinking sleepily.

Clovernight flicked her gray and black tail as she approached her sister, paying no attention to the older she-cat. "Could I speak to you about something?"

Dewleaf blinked in surprise, hesitantly rising to her paws. "Sure. Um, where do you want to go?"

"Go anywhere, as long as you two will let the rest of us sleep in peace," Forestlily griped again. Clovernight rolled her eyes and turned abruptly, trotting out of the den. Dewleaf followed, her head tilted in confusion.

She followed her sister to the edge of the clearing of camp before Clovernight whipped around suddenly, her green eyes flashing. "So."

"So…?" Dewleaf prompted, ears twitching in confusion.

Clovernight took in a deep breath before meowing, "What's up? What's going on?"

Blinking, Dewleaf asked, "What do you mean?"

Her sister's tail lashed. "Dewleaf, I can see right through you. Something's been bothering you the past day or so. I wanted to talk to you about it, but I didn't get a chance to. Until now."

"I'm fine," Dewleaf lied, sitting down. "There's nothing wrong. I took Lionpaw out hunting in the morning, then I went hunting with Falconclaw. Afterward, I visited Lightheart and Hazelstep at the nursery."

Clovernight eyed her suspiciously. "You're _not _fine," she hissed. "Why won't you tell me? If you talk about, then maybe—"

"There's nothing to talk about," Dewleaf argued, trying to keep her voice low. "I'm not a little kit, I can take care of myself."

"But I'm your older sister, Dewleaf," Clovernight mewed. "I care about you, and I don't like to see you down."

Dewleaf shook her head. "I know, Clovernight, and I care about you, too. But I'm fine, okay? Stop worrying about me like you're my mother." She turned her head away, thinking.

She wanted to pour out her heart to Clovernight, to explain her decision about Stormpelt. She wanted to let her know her concerns about her apprentice. And she wanted to tell her about Falconclaw's strange behavior. But she couldn't. It was too… awkward. This was something she had to do on her own. Her thoughts of Stormpelt were her own. Her apprentice was her responsibility. And as for Falconclaw, who knew what was with him?

She gingerly got up to her paws and glanced back at her sister. They blinked at each other in a strange sort of mutual understanding. Dewleaf gave her a small purr, then headed back into the warriors den.

Careful not to disturb the others, she settled down in her nest, glancing around. Forestlily was asleep now, as was Falconclaw. Berrytail must've just come inside, because he was shifting his weight and blinking his eyes closed. A moment later, Clovernight slowly slipped into the den, like a dark shadow.

Dewleaf watched her sister lay down, then let her tired eyes flutter closed.

**Different POV:**

_I descend onto my nest, my green eyes flickering around the den. Besides for Berrytail, and maybe Dawnheart, everyone else is already asleep. I can see the steady rise and fall of Cloudstorm's flank. I glance up at a sound and realize that it's just Thistlefang shifting in his nest. Sighing, I roll over so that I'm more comfortable, and close my eyes. But sleep doesn't come to me, no matter how much I will it to. I blink my eyes open and look around. Dewleaf is curled up on her nest, her flank steadily rising and falling, her whiskers twitching once in a while. _

_I sigh as I remember the conversation we had only a few moments ago. She's obviously hiding something from me, but what? And why was she so stingy?_

_She doesn't know this, but I notice everything. I see how she gets that sad look on her face when she's sitting alone, deep in thought. And I can tell she's thinking about this 'Stormpelt'. But she told me she'd forgotten all about him! Then what's her problem now? Today, in the morning, she had a tortured look on her face! But I was sent on dawn patrol, and I didn't get to speak to her. When I returned, she and her apprentice left to go hunting. Then she'd gone hunting with Falconclaw._

_I know that she's been having a rough time back in ThunderClan ever since she got back from RainClan, but she needs to forget about them! ThunderClan is her home now. ThunderClan is her _family,_ her _kin_. She doesn't get it! _

_I let out a sigh and turn my head to survey the den again. My eyes fall upon Eagletalon as he shifts, his back legs twitching. My eyes twinkle in amusement, he must be dreaming. I let out an uncomfortable cough, my pelt prickling as I remember the past between us. _

_He had a crush on me, and a big one at that. And he was the cause for my huge injury. All I remember about that is resentment and pain. _

_I shake my head, trying to clear my head of those thoughts. The past is the past, what's done is done. I glance around the warriors den one last time, my gaze lingering on Dewleaf, then lay down to sleep._

**What'd you think? Please review!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Dewleaf? Dewleaf, get up."

The black she-cat moaned and blinked open her eyes. "Already?"

A gentle purr replied, "You're on dawn patrol with me. Come on, the others are already waiting."

It was Snowstorm speaking, in her naturally gentle tone. She beckoned with her tail, then turned and padded out of the warriors den, her long white fur flowing in the gentle breeze.

Dewleaf sighed and rose to her paws reluctantly, stretching as she followed the senior warrior out of the den and away from her comfortable nest. The camp was relatively quiet, not many cats were up yet. Blinking drowsily, she remembered that she had been put on dawn patrol, along with her apprentice and Birdwing, another senior warrior. "Should I go wake Lionpaw?" she questioned as she caught up to Snowstorm hastily.

The white she-cat turned her head toward her and purred softly. "No, actually. He's already up and ready to go, Dewleaf."

The black she-cat fell behind as she felt her pelt flush with embarrassment. She hadn't been able to get up on time for the dawn patrol, but her apprentice had? "Oh, sorry," she said in a small voice. She looked up toward the camp entrance and saw, indeed, Lionpaw sitting patiently beside Birdwing.

"Okay, let's go," Birdwing meowed impatiently.

Dewleaf ducked her head and mumbled, "Sorry, Birdwing, Snowstorm, Lionpaw."

"Come on, it's all right," Snowstorm mewed.

As the patrol left camp, Lionpaw padded alongside his mentor.

"Hey, Lionpaw," Dewleaf purred affectionately to her half-brother. "When'd you get up?"

The golden tom shrugged. "Not too long ago, Dewleaf."

The she-cat opened her mouth to speak when Birdwing suddenly hissed.

"What is it?" Snowstorm mewed.

"I smell fox," the ginger she-cat replied, her eyes full of alarm.

Dewleaf drew in a breath, and immediately, every hair on her pelt rose. The stench was unmistakable, it was fox. To her relief, though, it was stale.

Snowstorm let out a hiss. "I smell it, too. But it's stale. Should we follow the scent?"

Birdwing nodded. "Keep quiet," she warned, flicking her tail as she beckoned for them to follow her. She prowled through the undergrowth quietly, her eyes alert and her ears pricked.

The scent lead to a small burrow, just large enough for the body of a fox to squeeze through. Around the burrow, though, was fresh fox stench.

Dewleaf hissed and glanced over at her apprentice. His amber eyes were wide with excitement, tinted with fear, and his fur stood on end. She brushed her tail against his shoulder, and as he looked up at her, she nodded comfortingly. He flicked his tail, then looked ahead.

"Look, a burrow," Birdwing hissed.

Dewleaf craned her neck to see, and, sure enough, there was a burrow in the ground. It looked to be an old vole burrow that had been widened, and now, it was wide enough for the fox. There was some fresh scent around it, but, obviously, no fox inside.

Snowstorm spoke up, "Let's go back to camp before someone gets hurt. We need to report this to Smokestar."

Dewleaf nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Birdwing meowed, turning toward camp. "The four of us could take it on, you know."

Snowstorm shook her head. "We don't know if it's a lone fox. It may have kits, or a mate. Besides, we don't know for sure where it is right now."

"Fine," Birdwing meowed sullenly.

***

When they got into camp, several cats were already awake. At the alarmed look on the patrol's faces, Ashenfur hurried toward them.

"What is it?" he asked, his fur bristling.

Snowstorm was the one to reply. "We scented fox on our territory, so we followed the scent. There's a burrow, not far from the Sky Oak."

"Did you fight the fox?" Ashenfur asked, eyeing the four cats. Their lack of injuries must've said it all.

Birdwing shook her head. "We came back to report it first. The fox wasn't in its den, and we weren't sure how many there were."

By now, several other cats had heard, and there were a few gasps of surprise and growls of contempt.

Ashenfur nodded. "All right. Birdwing, come with me, I want you to report this to Smokestar." Then he turned and led the she-cat away.

Dewleaf glanced over at Lionpaw. "Well, I guess we need to start training, in case that fox decides to mess with ThunderClan."

The golden tom looked up at her and nodded, his hackles rising. "I won't let that mangy piece of crowfood anywhere near the camp!"

Dewleaf purred. "No, we won't. You go ahead and get some rest. Afterward we'll go to the clearing to train, okay?"

"Yes, Dewleaf," he mewed. He nodded and padded toward the apprentices den.

"Hey, Dewleaf," someone called.

She turned and saw Clovernight padding toward her. Flicking her ear apprehensively, she couldn't help but feel that their relationship had been a bit… deterred because of what had happened a few nights ago. "Hi, Clovernight," she said in greeting.

"So, you scented fox on your patrol?"

Dewleaf nodded. "Yeah." Then she went on to explain how they'd found the den, then decided to report back before doing anything rash.

Clovernight growled. "That's not good. We have two queens at the moment, along with three kits."

"I know," Dewleaf meowed, nodding her head. "So, what've you been doing?"

Clovernight shrugged. "I just got up. Why? Do you want to go for a hunt with me?"

Dewleaf shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, I can't. I told Lionpaw I'd do some battle training with him."

"Oh," the gray and black she-cat mewed. "Well… Can I go with you?"

***

"Your goal is to try to knock me over, okay?" Dewleaf mewed.

Lionpaw nodded as he eyed her, and she could see ideas forming in his head.

Dewleaf, Lionpaw, and Clovernight were in the training clearing, practicing battle moves. Right now, Clovernight was sitting to the side, watching intently.

Suddenly, Lionpaw leapt at her side, ramming into her and causing her to stumble.

But she regained her balance and taunted, "Come on, Lionpaw! You can do better than that!"

Growling, the golden tom charged at her again, careening into her side. This time, as she tried to keep from stumbling, he swatted at her paws and bowled her over.

Dewleaf fell to the ground with a grunt. She glared up at her apprentice, a good natured glint in her eyes, then rolled out of the way and leaped back up to her feet. "Good job," she meowed, her whiskers twitching. "That was a good idea you had, Lionpaw, to try and trip me. See, since you weren't big enough to knock me over, you used your size to your advantage."

Lionpaw nodded, his amber eyes gleaming with pride. He turned to Clovernight and purred, "What do you think?"

His half-sister got up with a guarded expression, twitching her whiskers. "You did okay, Lionpaw, but that could have been better." Turning to Dewleaf, she meowed, "Come on, let me have a go at him."

Dewleaf sighed light-heartedly. "Okay, let's see how you do." She picked herself up and moved away to give the two cats some room.

She watched as Clovernight and Lionpaw circled each other, their eyes fixed on their oppenent. Without warning, Lionpaw charged at her, swiping at her with his forepaw. Clovernight jumped back, her tail twitching as she anticipated his next move. As quick as a flash of lightning, the black and gray cat darted forward and bowled the apprentice over. Hissing, Lionpaw scrambled up to his paws, his tail lashing.

Dewleaf could see the playful gleam in Clovernight's eyes as she batted at Lionpaw tauntingly, a smug look on her face.

"Come on, Lionpaw," she meowed as she darted from side to side. "You can do better than that!" She swiped at him with a paw, and the apprentice let out a competitive growl.

Dewleaf blinked in surprise as Lionpaw, just a golden whirl, hurtled into Clovernight, knocking her over. The black and gray she-cat was obviously stunned, because she lay still for a moment before getting up, shaking her pelt.

"Nice job," Clovernight meowed grudgingly, turning to lick her shoulder.

Lionpaw let out a proud purr. "Thanks," he replied, his tail-tip twitching steadily.

Clovernight turned to Dewleaf. "I can see you did a good job teaching him," she commented briefly.

Dewleaf shrugged. "I taught him, but he developed his own skills. I'm not nearly as good of a fighter as he is." She looked down at Lionpaw commendingly, her ears flicking.

Clovernight's green eyes flashed a bit, and Dewleaf vaguely recognized it. Was it… jealousy? That she didn't have an apprentice yet? Or that Lionpaw, her sister's apprentice, had bested her?

"Well, let's head back to camp now," Clovernight meowed, giving her pelt a light shake.

"Okay," Dewleaf meowed, shrugging. "Come on, Lionpaw, let's go." She beckoned with her tail, then began trotting toward camp.

Clovernight hung back. "Why don't we hunt before we go back?"

"Can we?" Lionpaw meowed, glancing at Dewleaf.

The black she-cat shrugged, slightly confused by Clovernight's sudden change of mind. "Sure, why not? I'm sure the Clan would like some extra fresh-kill."

Her sister nodded, then slithered into some undergrowth, disappearing soon after. Lionpaw followed suit, padding a few tail-lengths deeper into the forest before taking cover in some bushes.

Dewleaf watched them go, then turned and tasted the air, padding forward. The scent of mouse hung in the air, and she followed after it. Hiding in a thicket of thorns, she located the mouse, scurrying around nearby. She stalked forward, staying out of sight and remaining silent, until she judged that the time was right. She bunched her legs underneath her and prepared to leap, but a twig snapped, and the mouse fled, squeaking.

"Lionpaw, I thought I taught you not to disturb another warrior when they're hunting!" she snapped, looking up.

At no reply, she opened her mouth to taste the air.

Her fur bristled when the faint scent of fox wafted into her nostrils, and her ears perked at the sound of a vicious growl.

She realized that the scent was fresh, she was just partially downwind of it, was all. That had to mean that the fox was nearby. She took a step back, her eyes wide with fear, and slowly unsheathed her claws, taking a defensive stance as she did so.

_Where is it?_ she thought, panicked, as she looked around, her fur fluffed out. _I lost it scent, it's downwind of me._

She let out a yowl of fear, right before something knocked into the back of her head, causing her to fall to the ground.

Dazed, she blinked a few times before collecting herself and scrambling back up to her paws, baring her teeth. In front of her stood a large, orange fox, its muzzle and paws tinged in black. Its beady brown eyes showed nothing but menace. It yapped at her before swiping at her with a large, orange and black paw.

She hissed and leaped back, the fox's claws just a mere whisker-width away from her. Then, taking on a defensive stance again, she bared her teeth and lashed out with unsheathed claws, managing to graze her claws along its shoulder. It let out a cry in pain before turning toward her, its eyes glistening in anger.

Dewleaf backed away uncertainly, her blue eyes wide. Glancing around in panic, she yowled again for help. Where were Clovernight and Lionpaw? Turning back to face the fox, she felt herself shudder in fear. What would become of her now?

The fox hissed and lunged at her, its jaws snapping beside her ear as she made a feeble attempt to escape. Then she turned back again and slashed her claws over its nose, baring her teeth and letting her fur bristle, trying to look intimidating.

The fox, unfazed, charged at her again, this time, clawing at her flank and nipping at her tail. She tried to get out of the way, but the merciless fox slashed its claws across her legs. Dewleaf hissed in pain and gritted her teeth, feeling blood well up in her wounds.

When she'd just lost hope, another cat broke through the brush, standing in front of her protectively. It was Lionpaw! A moment later, another cat appeared, Clovernight.

Dewleaf let out a sigh of relief and began tending to her wounds as her apprentice and sister drove the fox off. Clovernight leaped on its haunches, sinking her claws deep into the fox's red-orange flank, while Lionpaw nipped at its ankles.

A few moments later, they returned to Dewleaf.

"Are you all right?" Clovernight asked, nosing Dewleaf's flank.

She winced and mewed weakly, "Yeah, just don't—don't touch it, it hurts." Then she looked up and meowed, "It's a good thing you got here when you did, both of you. Thanks."

Lionpaw shook his head. "We need to get you to Mosspelt."

Nodding in agreement, Clovernight helped Dewleaf get up to her paws. "He's right. That wound looks bad."

Dewleaf rose to her paws slowly, wincing at the pain in her flank. "It's not that bad," she said shakily. At that moment, Clovernight and Lionpaw leaped in shock as the she-cat slowly tripped and fell to the ground.

**Different POV**

_I look down at the wounded cat, my tail twitching back and forth in agitation. So many scratches, so many cuts, not enough cobwebs... I press what few I have into the wounds, applying just the right amount of pressure. Each time, Dewleaf lets out a pained hiss, curling her paws in. My apprentice looks up at me from the other side of the she-cat, blue eyes widened in worry. _

"_You know we don't have enough to stop all of this bleeding. What are we going to do? Should I go out and try to collect some more?"_

_My paws shake as I press a small cobweb to another of Dewleaf's wounds, my ear twitching. "I don't know, Frostpool. I just don't..."_

_My sensitive ears pick up the sound of a scuffle near the entrance to my den. I look up in annoyance. I already sent Clovernight, Lionpaw, Cloudstorm, and Feathercloud away! What now?_

_Frostpool pads over, a look of determination on her face. She sweeps aside the moss curtaining our entrance with a paw, jaw already open and ready to tell this new cat to leave, but a bundle of ginger fur bursts through the entrance, bowling her aside._

_I gape as Falconclaw straightens up before me, staring down at Dewleaf in horror and carrying a huge wad of sticky white cobwebs in his jaws. My mouth falls open as I see what he carries._

"_Did StarClan send you?" I meow in awe as he sets the cobwebs gingerly beside me._

_His tail flicks back and forth, and he leans his muzzle down to rest his nose against Dewleaf's flank. "It doesn't matter who sent me. Just save her. Please."_

* * *

**Hey, I know it's been a while since I updated.**

**I had a bit of a writer's block. Fortunately, xxcrowsynextmatexx helped me out. The whole of the Different POV part is hers, and she gave me a few details and stuff to put into the chapter. Yay!**

**Now, time to review. What'd you think?**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The injured she-cat stared up at Falconclaw. She'd been aware of the fact that the medicine cats were running low on cobwebs, but she'd been in too much pain to worry about that. But this… she was awed. Uncertain of how to voice her gratitude, she opened her mouth. Immediately, she had to grit her teeth and did her best to repress a hiss, because Mosspelt had begun applying more cobwebs to her, more firmly this time.

Her ears pricked at the medicine cat's voice.

"Frostpool, I think some of the bleeding has stopped. Go ahead and start making a poultice to apply to her wounds."

Mosspelt finished speaking, then left Dewleaf's side.

The black she-cat glanced up to look around, but she couldn't see toward the back of the den. Her eyes flickered over to Falconclaw, who had sat down closeby. He casually flicked an ear toward her, but his blue eyes were filled with worry. Dewleaf was compelled to open her mouth and try to speak, but Mosspelt returned, a small, folded leaf in her mouth.

Setting it down and unfolding the leaf to reveal two yellow seeds, she instructed, "Eat these poppy seeds. They'll help relieve the pain, and they'll help you sleep. You need rest."

Dewleaf nodded obediently and struggled to sit up so she could lap them up. The movement caused her wounds to hurt even more, and she had to grit her teeth. Falconclaw came to her aid, letting her lean on his shoulder so that she wouldn't lose her balance.

Glancing up at him, she meowed, "Thank you. For…"

The ginger tom nodded, then flicked his tail toward the poppy seeds.

She twitched an ear in reply, then bent over to lap them up.

Mosspelt nodded in approval, then directed her toward a moss bed in the back of the medicine cat's den. "Come on, Dewleaf. You'll feel much better after a nice rest."

After settling down in the nest, she felt the effects of the poppy seeds. The pain in her wounds were slowly numbing, and she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Shifting her weight a bit to get into a more comfortable position, she let out a small sigh and closed her eyes.

Dimly aware of some cat licking her forehead, she fell asleep.

***

Dewleaf blinked open her eyes, narrowing them at the bright light that nearly blinded her. Her head was pounding, and her shoulder ached. _What happened? Where am I? _For a brief moment, she had no recollection of anything.

Then, it hit her all at once. She'd been attacked by a fox, and—

_Ugh_. Her head was pounding, it hurt so much! And not to mention how sore her shoulder felt. She let out a small mew, trying to clear her head.

"Dewleaf?" someone meowed.

She looked around, blinking. She could vaguely make out the scent of Mosspelt.

"You're awake," the medicine cat meowed, rising to her paws. "How are you feeling?"

Disgruntled, the she-cat meowed, "Not so good. My head, it hurts so much!" She tried to shift her weight, only for her head to spin. "And I'm dizzy," she added.

Mosspelt padded closer and sniffed at her wounds before mewing, "Those are the effects of the poppy seeds. I think you may have had an overdose, but I didn't want you to feel too much pain."

The only response Dewleaf gave was a blink and a twitch of her whiskers.

The medicine cat went on, "The bleeding in your wounds have stopped. I think it's safe to put a poultice on them so they'll heal properly." She turned toward her store of herbs and began to pick out some herbs. "I'll make a marigold poutlice to put on your wounds, then bind them with more cobwebs. Frostpool should be back from herb-collecting soon, and I'm sure she found some cobwebs."

Meanwhile, Dewleaf rested her head down on the moss nest, blinking slowly. She'd been attacked by a fox… Lionpaw and Clovernight had helped her back to camp, and… Falconclaw. He'd saved her life. The cobwebs—without them, she most likely would've bled to death. Perhaps the medicine cats could've substituted it with moss, but…

She raised her head when she heard a rustle at the entrance of the den. Mosspelt only flicked her tail and went on looking through her herbs and chewing a poultice.

It was Clovernight. The black and white she-cat had a look of worry in her eyes. When she saw that Dewleaf was awake, her eyes lit up. "How are you feeling?" she asked, coming to her sister's side.

Dewleaf gave a shrug. "I don't feel too great," she meowed. "My wounds feel so numb, but I'm so dizzy, and I have a headache."

Her sister looked down at her in sympathy. "I hope you feel better soon. But your wounds look horrible, Dewleaf."

She glanced down at herself, looking over her flank. She hadn't felt the pain, but now she saw the slashes across her black fur and the cobwebs that covered them. This was the first time she'd actually had a look at her wounds.

When she looked up, Clovernight was looking down at her with an unreadable expression etched across her face.

"What's wrong?" Dewleaf mewed, her tail twitching from side to side.

Clovernight shook her head. "Nothing. I… Dewleaf, I'm sorry. It was my idea to go hunting, and I left you alone." After a sigh, she mewed, "I'll let you rest." She turned and padded out of the den, her tail hanging low.

It was then that Mosspelt returned with the marigold poultice. She expertly peeled the cobwebs away from Dewleaf's wounds and applied a thin coat of the poultice on them. "This will prevent infection and help you heal faster."

Dewleaf nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mosspelt," she mewed as she sniffed at the wounds. The effects of the poppy seeds were wearing off now, slowly. She was less drowsy, and she felt a stinging sensation from her wounds. "How much longer will I have to stay here?"

The medicine cat looked up in amusement. "For a while yet, Dewleaf. Until we're sure that your wounds won't get infected and when your wounds are on their way to healing."

Dewleaf flicked her tail in reply and lowered her head to her paws, letting out a sigh.

"Do you need more poppyseeds?" Mosspelt asked as she rubbed more poultice on Dewleaf's flank.

The black she-cat flinched at the stinging pain and croaked, "Yes."

***

Dewleaf blinked her eyes open again, for the umpteenth time today. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her head still throbbed, but not as much. She'd fallen asleep and woken up many times during the day, long enough to have some water or a nibble of fresh-kill before she was given more poppy seeds.

Frostpool was at her side in an instant. "How do you feel?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"I feel so groggy," Dewleaf mewed, stretching one of her forelegs. "And my legs feel so numb."

The white pelted medicine cat apprentice suggested, "You should go for a little walk in the camp. You can stretch your legs and get some fresh-kill. I'm sure Mosspelt wouldn't mind, as long as you're careful and stay in camp."

"All right, thanks," Dewleaf replied as she began to rise to her paws. Frostpool helped her up, letting the black she-cat lean on her shoulder.

When Dewleaf gained her balance, Frostpool nodded. "Go on. Stay near the medicine cat's den. Mosspelt will be back from herb collecting soon."

"Okay," Dewleaf replied, flicking her tail as she slowly limped out of the den. She glanced around, then picked her way toward a nice, warm patch of grass nearby where she could lay. She settled down carefully, making sure not to reopen her wounds. The sun washed down on her, and she laid her head down on her paws. Her eyes were darting around the camp, watching as Hazelstep and Thistlefang groomed each other outside the nursery. Her attention flickered to the camp entrance as a few cats returned from a hunting patrol. Ashenfur, Falconclaw, Cloudstorm, and Lionpaw had been on it.

The deputy had taken over Lionpaw's training, and would continue to do so until Dewleaf was healed and had the approval from both medicine cats.

She craned her neck to hear Ashenfur mew, "Lionpaw, I want to see your battle moves. Come on, let's go to the training hollow."

Lionpaw nodded eagerly, and the two cats disappeared.

Dewleaf let out a soft purr, then rested her head on her paws, briefly closing her eyes. She thought it was a good thing that Lionpaw would get some training for an experienced warrior like Ashenfur. The next thing she knew, something was tapping at her shoulders. She looked up and blinked into the soft blue eyes of Falconclaw. In his jaws, he held a sparrow. "Oh, hi, Falconclaw," she mewed, shifting a bit so that the tom could sit beside her.

He nodded and took a seat. Dropping the sparrow, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Dewleaf admitted. "Thanks, Falconclaw. I may not have survived…"

The ginger tom nudged her gently with his nose. "I know. That's why I did it. I had to, Dewleaf."

The sleek, black she-cat looked up at him curiously for a moment before dropping her gaze.

He pushed the sparrow closer to her and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Dewleaf looked down at the piece of fresh-kill and felt her belly churn. "No, thanks," she replied. "With all those herbs I ate, my belly doesn't feel too good."

"Oh." Falconclaw's reply was a mew of disappointment and disdain.

She felt herself prickle with guilt. After all, this tom had done so much for her in the past. Would it hurt to share a meal with him? "Well, I guess I _should _eat and keep my strength up," she added hastily.

His blue eyes lit up, but his reply was a mere nod. He nudged the sparrow closer to her, then took a small bite.

"Thank you, Falconclaw," she meowed, her voice full of conviction. She looked up to meet his eyes, and the two cats nodded mutually. She broke the gaze first by stooping her head down and taking a bite of the fresh-kill. "So, how are you doing?"

The ginger tom shrugged casually. "I'm doing fine, actually." He looked up abruptly and meowed, "I worry about you sometimes, Dewleaf." "Y-you worry about me?" she repeated, taken by surprise. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, he replied, "Dewleaf, I care about you a lot. And I don't like seeing you hurt, physically or emotionally. I've noticed you've gotten over Stormpelt nowadays, but now with all those injuries…" He touched his nose to her shoulder for a split second, then removed it. "…I worry."

Her tail curled at the thought that someone, who wasn't even her kin, cared that much about her, though at the same time she felt a pang of remorse for Stormpelt, her lost love. _I wonder where he is… how he's doing… if he even misses me…_ "I… I don't know what to say. I'm grateful for everything, Falconclaw. I care about you, too."

A low purr rumbled from Falconclaw's throat. "I'm glad to hear that," he meowed, his tail flicking over her flank.

Dewleaf let out a _mrrow _of laugher, then took a few more bites of the sparrow.

"You enjoy the rest of that sparrow," Falconclaw meowed. "I'm tired, I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"All right. Thanks, Falconclaw," Dewleaf replied, dipping her head.

The ginger-furred tom rose to his paws. After gazing at the she-cat, he quickly swiped his tongue over her ear affectionately before heading toward the warriors den.

Dewleaf glanced up at him in surprise and watched him leave.

**Different POV**

_I telly myself, I'm so stupid. Even after Smokestar told the whole Clan to be careful and to stay with other cats, I asked to go hunting and left Dewleaf and Lionpaw alone. And Dewleaf almost died! If it hadn't been for Falconclaw, she _would _be dead right now. I told her I was sorry, but… _

_I sigh restlessly and flop around in my nest. Sleep won't come to me tonight._

_I blink up at the noise of an approaching cat. It's Falconclaw. His eyes are shining with a new light. He must be in an especially good mood, he's always been so quiet and calm. He takes his place in his nest, right in between Stonefoot and Flightfur. I gaze at the other warriors for a moment before resting my head on my paws. _


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"How're you feeling, Dewleaf?" the silver she-cat asked, her blue eyes searching her daughter's face.

Dewleaf purred and nudged her mother's shoulder. "Feathercloud, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Feathercloud eyed Dewleaf, though her eyes showed playfulness. "All right, then. You take care. I have to get ready to go to the Gathering."

"Oh." She'd almost forgotten that tonight was the night of the full moon, when the four Clans could gather in truce. Disappointed, she sighed, "I guess I can't go."

Feathercloud nuzzled her daughter comfortingly. "I'm sure Smokestar will let you go next time. Besides, you need to heal, Dewleaf. Several warriors are staying behind anyhow."

Dewleaf nodded in agreement. "I know," she mewed.

"I'll tell you about it when I get back," Feathercloud replied as she turned to leave the medicine cat's den.

"Wait!" Dewleaf called hastily. When her mother turned back, she mewed, "Tell Rainheart I said hello, please."

The silver she-cat hesitated for a moment, staring at Dewleaf with wide eyes. Finally, she answered, "If I have the chance."

***

"Will you be all right? Should I have Frostpool stay behind with you?" Mosspelt asked anxiously as she and her apprentice stood at the entrance of their den.

Dewleaf nodded. "Don't worry. Enjoy the Gathering, I can take care of myself. As a matter of fact, I was just going to visit the queens in the nursery."

Mosspelt opened her mouth to say more, but she didn't get the chance. Smokestar called for all the cats attending the Gathering to gather. The medicine cat said hastily, "Okay. Take care, Dewleaf."

Frostpool nodded in agreement, then the two medicine cats padded toward the camp entrance. In addition to the leader, deputy, and medicine cats, several warriors were going to the Gathering as well. Leafdapple, Thorntail, Feathercloud, Snowstorm, Clovernight, and Falconclaw were among those. Berrytail and Dawnheart were going as well. Dewleaf watched them go, then turned and settled down on the nest of soft moss. She'd get some rest first.

***

Dewleaf shuffled into the nursery slowly, a plump vole in her jaws. Hazelstep was dozing with her kits, and Lightheart was grooming herself. The latter she-cat looked up as Dewleaf entered.

"Hi, Dewleaf. It's nice to see you," Lightheart meowed. "How are your injuries healing?" She eyed the cobwebs and poultice plastered on Dewleaf's shoulder.

The black she-cat shrugged as she set the fresh-kill down and sat down beside her friend. "I'm healing well. I hope Mosspelt will let me out into the forest soon. My paws are itching for a good hunt." She nudged the vole she'd brought for her friend and meowed, "This is for you."

"Thanks," she replied as she took the fresh-kill and began to eat. Then, Lightheart laughed. "Well, how do you think I feel? I've been cooped up in the nursery for a moon and a half, maybe even longer."

"And then you'll have to stay six more moons, nursing your kits," Dewleaf added with a purr. "Sounds like great fun."

Lightheart sighed. "Sure does. But I don't mind. Cloudstorm and I… we've wanted kits for a while." Her eyes were downcast, and Dewleaf guessed that she was thinking about what had happened the last time she and Cloudstorm had become parents. Their kits had been stillborn. In addition, Lightheart had nearly lost her life.

Dewleaf nodded in understanding, and she felt a twinge of envy for her friend and brother. They shared something very special—love. And soon, they'd have kits to show it. But as for herself… she doubted she'd ever see Stormpelt again. _She'd _loved him, but… had _he _loved _her_? _I guess I'll never know. _

"Are you okay, Dewleaf?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, she glanced up to see Lightheart peering at her with worry glittering in her green eyes. "Oh, yeah, I-I'm fine," she stammered, looking away in embarrassment. "Sorry, I was just… thinking."

"If you say so," Lightheart replied, her head tilted to the side. After a moment, she shrugged and went on, "I'm sure Cloudstorm would be proud to have kits. And they're nearly here, too. We're both so excited."

"I'm sure you'll be very happy," Dewleaf murmured, a bit wistful.

Lightheart nodded happily, her tail flicking over her belly. "I'm so nervous," she mewed, laying her head on her paws. "But I'm very excited, too."

Dewleaf offered a small smile, then glanced away, her tail swishing back and forth. Thought of Stormpelt swirled around in her head, but, this time, they seemed only like distant memories. Those strong, longing emotions she'd felt only yesterday were gone. _He and I would never have been happy together anyway, _she reasoned, a bit regretfully. _We were from different Clans. He had RainClan, and it was my _duty _to return to ThunderClan. This is where I belong… Right? _

"Lightheart," Dewleaf prompted. "I have a question."

Dewleaf stayed in that nursery for the rest of the time. She spoke to Lightheart, about many things, including Stormpelt. Once Hazeltail woke up, the older queen joined the conversation as well.

By the end of their very long conversation, Dewleaf had been uplifted. The two queens had somewhat understood how she'd felt, and were able to give a few words of advice that helped Dewleaf.

"Good night. And thank you, I'm glad we talked," Dewleaf mewed as she padded out of the nursery, leaving the queens and the kits to rest.

As she headed toward the medicine cat's den, though, the ThunderClan cats returned from the Gathering. She blinked up at them and began to make her way toward Clovernight.

"How was the Gath—" she began.

But she was cut off when she heard her name being called. She looked around in confusion, then noticed Falconclaw, standing to the side of the main group. "Hi, Falconclaw," she meowed, changing her course and heading toward him. "How was the Gathering?"

The ginger tom shrugged. "It was fine. It's always an honor to go, of course, but nothing much happened tonight."

"I wish I could've gone," Dewleaf admitted with a nod.

He drew closer to her and lowered his voice. "I saw Rainheart."

"Did you speak to him?" Dewleaf asked, her interest sparked. "What did he say?"

Falconclaw nodded slowly. "I did speak to him a little. I told him that you were injured, but Clovernight had already told him about it. And…" He hesitated before mewing, "we talked about you a little."

"Me?" Dewleaf tilted her head to the side. "What about me?"

"Your father's really proud of you," he replied. "We both agree that you're a fine warrior. And… we talked about RainClan for a little, too."

"Oh." Dewleaf looked down at her paws and felt her ear-tips burning. She was sure they'd probably discussed Stormpelt. But… she was over him! For now, anyway.

"He also told me that his sister, Splashripple, recently had her kits. It was announced at the Gathering, too. Apparently, she has three healthy kits."

Dewleaf looked up and purred. "That's wonderful! My kin!"

Falconclaw purred and nodded. After a while, he shuffled his feet on the ground before mewing, "He said he missed you. He hoped to see you soon."

She looked up at him in surprise. "He did?"

Falconclaw nodded. "Yeah, he did."

Dewleaf opened her mouth to reply, but she didn't get to. Mosspelt called for her, and she had to return to the medicine cat's den.

As she settled down in her nest, she wondered, _Why would Rainheart trust Falconclaw enough to speak to him about RainClan, to deliver a message to me? _

***

"It feels great to be out in the forest again!" Dewleaf purred, raising her head.

Thorntail glanced at her sideways and replied, "I'm sure it does. You were cooped up in the medicine cat's den for quite a while."

She nodded in agreement as she opened her mouth to taste the air.

Currently, the black she-cat was on a hunting patrol—the first one in a while—with Thorntail, Flightfur, and Berrytail.

"I smell a vole," Berrytail whispered as he darted off.

Dewleaf flicked an ear and glanced around, her ears pricked and her jaws slightly parted. At the smell of a mouse, her ears pricked forward, and she began to stalk toward the prey. The brown mouse was sitting at the roots of a tree, unaware of the impending danger.

In a single swipe, Dewleaf had snagged it with her claws. She quickly gave it the killing bite, then carried it back to Thorntail.

The tom nodded to her, mewing, "Nice catch."

"Thanks," she replied as she began to bury the fresh-kill.

The golden-brown tom nodded once again before disappearing in a clump of bracken.

***

"Hi," came a muffled mew.

Dewleaf turned her head to see who'd spoken to her. She flicked her tail in acknowledgement. "Hi, Falconclaw," she replied. The black pelted she-cat had been on her way to visit Hazelstep and Lightheart in the nursery.

The ginger tom had a chaffinch in his jaws, and he flicked an ear. He dropped the fresh-kill at his paws and glanced up at her, looking a bit hesitant. "Would you… would you like to share this with me?"

She sighed and glanced up at the nursery before turning back to reply to the tom. Honestly, Dewleaf had been about to say 'no' to him, but she felt a change of heart when she saw the hopeful expression on his face. She nodded readily. After all, this tom had done so much for her. "I'd be glad to, Falconclaw," she meowed, giving a twitch of her tail-tip.

His tail curled, and he nudged the chaffinch toward her.

Dewleaf settled down beside him first, then sniffed at the bird curiously before taking a bite. She suddenly realized that she'd been feeling very hungry lately, with all the patrols she'd been on to make up for having been stuck in the medicine cat's den for a while. She hastily took another bite, then looked up and beckoned for her Clanmate to eat as well.

Falconclaw was watching her curiously. Then he looked away and took a bite of the chaffinch. In an effort to start a conversation, he meowed, "So, you like being out in the forest again?"

Dewleaf looked up at him and nodded. "Of course, any warrior would rather be out hunting than be stuck in the medicine cat's den," she replied with a purr.

Falconclaw nodded in agreement and flicked his tail with a hearty purr. "True." He looked up at her, his blue eyes soft and affectionate. "Do you want to go hunting with me later?" Hastily, he put in, "I've only been on one border patrol this morning, and I don't have much to do."

"All right," Dewleaf replied with a nod. "I was going to visit the queens first. I'll meet you in front of the warriors den in a bit, okay?" She took several more bites of the chaffinch and rose to her paws.

Falconclaw nodded. "See you then."

Dewleaf twitched an ear in reply and dashed off toward the nursery. She looked up in surprise when she saw that Thistlefang was inside, grooming Hazelstep gently. Their three kits, now old enough to move around on their own, were playing with each other. "Hello."

Thistlefang twitched an ear, and Hazelstep merely flicked her tail. They were whispering to each other, Dewleaf could tell. So she turned to look for Lightheart. The dark gray queen was curled up in the back of the nursery, her flank rising and falling steadily, most likely sleeping.

The black she-cat turned to leave, padding out of the nursery quietly. The queens were busy. She looked up and saw that Falconclaw, as he'd promised, was waiting in from of the warriors den. She trotted over, glad that _some _cat had time for her.

"Ready to go?" Falconclaw asked as he rose to his paws and gave his pelt a light shake. "How're the queens doing?"

Dewleaf nodded in reply. "Yes. Actually, they were both busy. Hazelstep was speaking with Thistlefang, and Lightheart was asleep."

"Oh," Falconclaw replied as he led the way out of camp. He seemed to struggle to find something to speak about. "So… how are the kits?"

She shrugged. "They're fine, I suppose."

"It's always nice to have kits in the Clan," Falconclaw remarked. "Soon, Lionpaw won't be the only apprentice around."

Dewleaf purred at the thought. Then she added, "Only if he isn't made a warrior by then."

As they padded through the forest, they chatted about several trivial things. They did hunt, but their time was mostly spent talking.

***

Dewleaf followed Falconclaw into camp. They'd returned rather late, with little fresh-kill in their jaws. The sun had already set, and the moon was beginning to glow. But she'd enjoyed his company; she didn't feel as lonely in the Clan anymore. Forestlily had been sitting at the entrance as the guard, and she eyed the pair suspiciously before turning away.

As she yawned, she turned her head toward Falconclaw and flicked her tail toward him in a friendly gesture. He purred softly, almost inaudibly, and nudged her shoulder with his muzzle.

"You look tired," he meowed, looking at her intently.

She nodded a bit in agreement; she _was _tired. "How'd you know?" asked the black she-cat curiously.

Falconclaw blinked, as if thinking for a moment, before replying, "You're blinking like you're sleepy."

Dewleaf's eyes slightly widened with surprise that he'd noticed that. "I am sleepy," she admitted. "I know I didn't do much today, but I used a lot of my energy, I suppose."

The ginger tom let out a soft sound, perhaps a purr, before nudging Dewleaf. "Come on, let's get some rest." His tail on Dewleaf's shoulder, he led her into the warriors' den.

**Different POV**

_I shift my weight in my nest, wishing that my mate would come speak to me. I have many thoughts swirling around in my head. I don't know what to do! _

_Fear and anxiety weighs me down. The birthing of my kits is getting closer, and I can't help but relive the other time when I'd been carrying kits. I'm tired and weary, but I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the scene in which I almost lost my life. I don't worry only for myself. What if the kits don't make it—again? Cloudstorm would be devastated. _

_My belly clenches, and as I hear a cat shuffle into the nursery, I close my eyes. I detect the scent of Dewleaf. _

_She's a good friend of mine, but I don't feel like speaking to her right now. I curl into as tight as a ball as I can, my whiskers twitching. _

_Where is Cloudstorm?_

* * *

**Sorry about the long update!!**

**Please review, what did you think?**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Dewleaf emerged from the warriors' den, shaking her sleek, black pelt and blinking her light blue eyes. She glanced around with confusion and drowsiness for a few moments, then straightened up and proceeded toward the apprentices' den. As she ducked inside, her eyes once again adjusted to the difference in light. Her eyes settled upon her half-brother, Lionpaw. He was fast asleep on his nest of soft, green moss.

"Hey, wake up," she mewed as she trotted toward him. He was the only apprentice of ThunderClan, so she was sure she wouldn't be disturbing anyone else in the den. "Lionpaw!"

The golden-furred tom stirred, raising his muzzle and blinking slowly. He muttered groggily, "What? Can't I just rest a bit more?" He made no effort to get up, and his shoulders were sagging with weariness.

Dewleaf blinked sympathetically. Lionpaw alone performed the duties that several apprentices should share, such as collecting moss and attending to the needs of the elders. "All right," she said gently but with sternness. "But not much longer. I expect you to be ready for training by the time the dawn patrol is back."

Flicking his ear and glancing up briefly, Lionpaw let out a purr of gratitude before settling back down and curling up again. Dewleaf watched him for a few minutes before quietly exiting the den. She let out a little sigh before looking around the camp. She felt a strong need to do something of importance, but… what? See Rainheart again? See Stormpelt? The latter seemed highly unlikely. As she roved about the camp aimlessly, some cat approached her. It was Whitepelt.

The friendly white she-cat, who'd apparently been Dewleaf's mother's best friend in the past, flicked her tail in greeting. Dewleaf could imagine her and Feathercloud, as young apprentices, sharing tongues together as best friends. "Hi, Dewleaf. Would you join my hunting patrol? I need one more fresh warrior."

Dewleaf nodded readily. She had nothing else to do, and she wouldn't mope around the camp and get in the way of others.

Whitepelt purred. "Good. Clovernight and Eagletalon are waiting at the thorn tunnel. Come on."

Dewleaf's eyes flickered with surprise, but she wordlessly followed after Whitepelt, nodding. Her whiskers twitched with anticipation and amusement as she looked toward the entrance of the camp. As she'd expected, Clovernight was pointedly looking away from Eagletalon. The poor tom glanced at her shyly a few times, then perked up as he saw Dewleaf and Whitepelt approaching.

"Hello," he said politely, twitching his tail-tip.

***

As Dewleaf had expected, Clovernight engaged Whitepelt in conversation as soon as they headed toward the hunting ground. Eagletalon padded alongside Dewleaf, behind the other two she-cats.

He'd been silent for a time, but now the light gray colored tom spoke up. "So, Dewleaf…" He trailed off, seemingly struggling to find a safe topic to talk about. "Uh, how's Lionpaw's training going?"

"Fine," Dewleaf replied. Then, realizing that her sharp answered sounded extremely rude and curt, she elaborated, "He's the only apprentice, so he has all the apprentice duties to himself, and he's often tired."

"Silverstorm is the only elder," Eagletalon pointed out politely with a small nod. "But I understand what you mean."

Dewleaf nodded in agreement. "And he's got brilliant battle techniques," she added. "He's a superb fighter. He'll be a warrior soon, I'm sure." She was filled with pride for her brother and apprentice, and her tail flicked back and forth as she spoke about him.

Eagletalon purred slightly, and they fell silent again.

Dewleaf could vaguely make out a few words of Whitepelt and Clovernight's conversation. Her ear pricked as something rustled in the ferns a few tail-lengths off, probably a mouse or vole. She glanced up toward the canopy of trees above her, observing the sun's position in the sky. She noticed that many trees were preparing for leaf-fall as well. Some of the green leaves had turned yellow, some even red. She hoped ThunderClan would fare well in leaf-bare. She hoped the same for RiverClan.

Eagletalon's soft voice startled her. "Clovernight still ignores me. She avoids me like I'm fox-dung when she can." Though his voice was subdued and hushed, Dewleaf could detect bitterness, regret, and resentment in it.

"She doesn't think that about you," she insisted, shaking her head as she disagreed.

"How would you know?" Eagletalon said harshly, almost accusingly. His voice was just about a hiss. "She hasn't said anything, has she?"

Dewleaf shook her head again. Come to think of it, she hadn't had a real sister to sister talk with Clovernight in quite a while. "No," she admitted. "But Clovernight's just a stubborn cat," she mewed assuringly. "Do you…" Dare she venture this far? "Do you still have feelings for her?"

Eagletalon's eyes narrowed, and the green color of them darkened. "No," he growled. Then his tone softened, and he sighed. "I don't _think _so."

Struggling to find the correct answer, Dewleaf began to open her mouth.

"Hey, you two! Keep up!" called Whitepelt, a few tail-lengths ahead.

***

"Come on, Lionpaw, let's see what you've got," Dewleaf said tauntingly as she faced her apprentice in the training hollow.

Lionpaw growled playfully as he charged toward Dewleaf, racing straight toward her. But as she began to dodge, he quickly changed his course and rammed straight into her. But he didn't get far, because Dewleaf swiped at him, causing him to lose his balance. With the speed of a WindClan cat, he got up and knocked her over.

Dewleaf hissed in surprise as she leapt back up to her feet. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Lionpaw. He was circling her carefully, calculating his next move. Before he could even blink, she shot toward him, swiping at him and managing to pin him down. Though he struggled, she kept a firm grasp on him. Finally, he went limp in defeat.

"Not bad," Dewleaf mewed thoughtfully as she twitched her tail-tip. A small purr rose up in her throat.

Lionpaw flicked his tail in acknowledgement and replied, "Thanks." Shaking pale sandy flecks out of his golden fur, he got back up. Suddenly, he snarled teasingly. "I think I want a rematch." Dewleaf's eyes widened. "Oh, really? All right, that sounds fair."

***

Dewleaf slipped into the warriors' den, feeling tired and sore. Lionpaw's proposition for a rematch had ended on his favor… he'd defeated her with flying colors! She'd been surprised. Then again, he _had _been training for six moons, and he was a very fast learner. She realized that Lionpaw could soon be named a warrior. The thought was overwhelming, yet realistic.

_I'll have a word with Smokestar soon, _she thought to herself as she began to groom her black fur. _I'll assess Lionpaw. _

Settling into her nest, Dewleaf lowered her head and shut her eyes.

* * *

**I know exactly what you're thinking: "You haven't updated in FOREVERR!!" I know, and I'm extremely sorry... I've actually had this whole thing typed up for like a month and only needed a few finishing sentences... sighh... **

**But I've got my ideas back, I know exactly what's going to happen in the next chapter, and I'm totally going to start on it right now. I hope I'll get back on track with my other fics soon, as well. Thanks everyone. **

**PLEASE REVIEWWWWW!**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Dewleaf crouched in the dense undergrowth, her blue eyes fixed upon her target, a brown wood mouse. It was sitting on its haunches, clutching a seed in its forepaws. The black pelted she-cat stalked several steps forward, silent and steady. When she judged that the time was right, she leaped. The mouse saw her, heard the rustle of the cat's feet against the ground, felt the rush of air. Nevertheless, it was too late. Dewleaf's outstretched paws came down upon the prey, trapping it. She gave it the final blow, killing it. She then buried it swiftly. It was leaf-bare, and she knew she was lucky to have caught something healthy and somewhat plump.

"Good catch," said Forestlily. The brown0furred cat twitched her tail thoughtfully. "I couldn't find anything. I'm sure the scarcity will get worse if, or rather when, it starts snowing."

Dewleaf nodded, sighing. "Leaf-bare's always been this way."

Forestlily nodded in agreement. "You might as well dig that mouse bag up. We've been at it all morning and I doubt we'll find anything else."

"All right," Dewleaf replied.

***

The two she-cats returned to camp. Dewleaf added the wood mouse to the very low fresh-kill pile, then glanced around curiously. There was a commotion near the nursery.

"What's going on?" mewed Forestlily from beside her.

Dewleaf shrugged in response. "I'm not sure," she said. She turned to the nearest warrior, Whitepelt. "What's going on?"

The warrior turned to face her, eyes bright. "Lightheart had her kits. Neither Mosspelt nor Frostpool would tell us anything else, though."

Dewleaf's blue eyes widened. "Really? How many?" She was bubbling with questions.

Whitepelt shook her head. "Like I said, they wouldn't say anything else. I don't know. But they seemed glad. I suppose Cloudstorm and Lightheart will be the ones to reveal anything."

Dewleaf's eyes brightened and her tail swished back and forth. The news was in her brother's favor. They'd finally gotten the litter of kits they'd been hoping for. They were a bit too young to be parents, but they loved each other extremely and were both responsible warriors, assets to the Clan. She supposed Cloudstorm was in the nursery with his new family.

As everyone else began to return as they were, Dewleaf still lingered near the nursery. It wasn't long until Cloudstorm emerged, smelling of milk.

"Congratulations," she purred, padding forward to touch noses with her brother.

His eyes were very bright, his long fur fluffed out. "I still can't believe it," he breathed. "They're beautiful, Dewleaf."

"Well, can I see them? Would Lightheart mind?"

Cloudstorm hesitated. "She's tired, but, if you make it short…"

"Okay," she answered.

"Wait a moment. Lightheart said she was starving," the tom said. He bounded toward the fresh-kill pile, looking down at the low pile. He sighed and chose a scrawny vole. Any cat would understand that it wasn't enough to sustain an exhausted queen with many mouths to feed. "This'll have to do," he muttered.

Dewleaf flicked an ear in understanding, following her brother into the nursery. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. She could make out Lightheart's form, slumped on the moss with exhaustion. There were four tiny bundles at her side, suckling. They didn't even look like kits… they seemed so small and weak.

Cloudstorm went to the queen's side immediately, dropping the vole close to her and grooming her ears briefly. "The fresh-kill pile was nearly empty," he said apologetically. "I promise, I'll go hunting and bring you something soon."

Lightheart mumbled in response and began to wolf down the fresh-kill. It was gone in a few heartbeats.

"Dewleaf came for a short visit," Cloudstorm meowed, flicking his tail toward his sister.

Lightheart's eyes flickered up to the she-cat. "Oh, hello."

"Congratulations," Dewleaf said. She lowered her head toward her kits.

Lightheart purred feebly, nudging them softly with her muzzle. "Thank you." She turned to nose Cloudstorm affectionately.

"Have you named them?" Dewleaf asked curiously.

Cloudstorm nodded. "Of course we have."

Lightheart beckoned toward a tiny, especially small, light gray, almost white kit. "This is Littlekit. All of our kits are a bit smaller than they should be, but she seems to be the runt." The queen then touched her nose to a gray male tabby. "This is Pinekit."

Cloudstorm licked one of the kits. It had a solid, dark ginger pelt. "I named him. He's Emberkit," the father mewed proudly.

Dewleaf nudged her brother playfully.

"The last one is Shadowkit," Lightheart said softly, nodding to a black kit that resembled Lightheart's father, Shadowclaw. Cloudstorm rasped his tongue over his mate's muzzle as she spoke.

Dewleaf nodded. "All of them are beautiful. I'm happy for both of you."

"Thank you," Lightheart meowed with a twitch of her whiskers. She glanced down at the kits momentarily. "I just hope that leaf-bare won't be too difficult…"

Dewleaf glanced up and met Cloudstorm's worried eyes. He shook his head and said, "We'll be fine."

"I'll leave you to rest," Dewleaf mewed with a small sigh.

Lightheart nodded. "Thanks for coming," she replied, her voice heavy.

Dewleaf flicked her tail in acknowledgement and left the nursery. She headed toward the warriors' den to rest.

**Different POV**

_I eye the tiny mouse as I stalk forward, carefully planning each step I take. But one of my paws scuffles against the hard, cold earth, and the mouse flees with alarm. I growl in agitation, my tail lashing. It's freezing out here, and there's no prey. I can't return to Lightheart empty-pawed. With determination, I scent the air again. Nothing… It's hopeless. _

_I continue on in the forest, keeping silent. Finally, I smell something… There's a little sparrow fluttering about on the ground. Upon closer inspection, I realize it's injured. My eyes glow as I stalk forward. It sees me and tries to get away, but it's too late for that now. I kill the helpless creature, muttering gratefully. At least it's something._

_I wander around the forest for a while longer, and am lucky enough to catch a small squirrel. I decided to turn back, to head back to camp._

_As I duck through the thorn tunnel, someone calls out to me. It's Frostpool, beckoning to me with her tail. Still clutching the fresh-kill in my mouth firmly, I nod and rush toward her. She leads me to the medicine cat's den. Looking around, I see that Mosspelt isn't around. Perhaps she's out collecting herbs._

_Frostpool gingerly pushes some herbs toward me, nodding. "Give these to Lightheart."_

"_Thank you," I mutter as I reach down to take them. _

"_Wait," Frostpool mews abruptly, taking me by surprise. She hesitates before going on, "How is she… and the kits?"_

_I sigh. "They're doing all right. Leaf-bare's a tough time, but we're all doing our best." For a moment, I feel so relieved at talking about how hard it is, for all of us. I blink up at Frostpool and sigh again._

_My mate's sister nods comfortingly, touching her nose to my muzzle briefly. I blink up in surprise, is that affection I see in her blue eyes? My mind flashes back to the time when I was an apprentice… when Frostpaw and I had feelings for each other…_

"_Frostpool," I say in warning._

"_I'm sorry," she says to me. "It's just… she's my sister, and your kits are my kin. I'm as worried about them as you are." With a heavy sigh, she goes on, "Lightheart is my best friend. But sometimes, I can't help but be jealous of her…" And she presses her muzzle into my flank._

_I hesitate and relax for a moment, feeling a rush of emotion course through me. But then I think about Lightheart, and the kits, and I push her aside, picking up the herbs and the two tiny pieces of fresh-kill. I give her a warning glare before fleeing. I love Lightheart… _

**_

* * *

_So can anyone guess who the Different POV was? It's not that hard...**

**I'm glad I updated. :) I sort of read back through the other chapters of this, and I realized I forgot a lot that I wrote... like when Falconclaw saved Dewleaf's life after she was attacked by a fox? Just a suggestion for my readers out there, but read back through the chapters and refresh your memory. Since it's been so long since I updated, I think it would really help you guys with the course and plot of this story. :) **

**Anyway, thanks for reading. Please leave me a review, I live off them.**


	13. Author's Note

**Hey, everyone! It's been such a long time! **

**I've decided to stop writing The Right Path 3.**

**Buuuutttt... I am rewriting it. It overlaps a bit with TRP2, but you'll still be able to follow along. Thanks for your support, and I hope you read and review the rewritten version. Look under my profile. It's entitled The Right Path 3 Rewrite.**

**Enjoy! Thanks, everyone.**


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